If You Just Believe
by onekisstotakewithmex
Summary: "Seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing" For years, Leroy Jethro Gibbs has been perfectly content being Santa Claus, but there's just one little wrench in his plan: a certain legal clause stating he needs to find a wife… or Santa ceases to exist. Enter Caitlin Todd, a toy store owner trying to balance work & family. Is love possible on a deadline? Kibbs, Xmas Special 2017
1. Chapter 1

"Toy production is going well, everything is moving as expected, and we are right on schedule. But we have a problem," she said, looking up from where she'd been consulting her list. "A problem that you _promised_ you would take care of, Tony."

He winced. "I… yeah, no."

Her mouth dropped open. "You have not _told_ him?"

"It kinda got lost in the shuffle," Tony replied, grimacing. "So no, I haven't."

"He needs to know, before it becomes obvious to him that something is wrong!"

"Maybe it won't actually happen?" he asked.

She grabbed his wrist. "Tony do you not understand? If you do not tell him, then by the time he notices it may be too late! And you _know_ what that means!"

He nodded, taking a deep breath. "Okay."

"You need to tell him."

"Nope," he said, removing her hand from his wrist. " _We_ need to tell him."

"Tell me what, Tony?" came the voice from behind him, and he froze, before turning around.

"Oh. Hey boss. Didn't see you there. Uh…" He saw that Ziva was glaring at him. "We have something we need to tell you."

One of the younger elves ran up, and tugged on the boss's sleeve. "Santa, we have a problem in the bakery!"

He turned, gratified that he was being asked for help. "What's the problem, Ned?"

"One of the tables collapsed because someone put too much pound cake on it," Ned explained, giving Tony and Ziva a nervous look. "And may I say, Santa, how slim you look lately?"

"I'd thought I'd been droppin' pounds, but thanks Ned. Better go eat some of that pound cake… will it damage our quotas significantly?"

"No, Santa, we do need a new table though."

"I can do that," he said dismissively, as Ned walked off, before turning back to Tony and Ziva. "What was it ya wanted to tell me?" He looked between them. "That bad, huh?"

"We did not say-,"

"Ya didn't have to, Ziver, it's written all over your face." He sighed. "All right. What do you wanna talk to me about?"

"We should discuss this in private," Ziva said softly.

"If it's that bad, why didn't ya tell me before?"

"I didn't know how," Tony explained. "It's not good, boss."

He sighed, and opened the door, "All right. In my office. Let's go. Go." He closed the door, and looked expectantly at Tony and Ziva. "Whaddaya got?"

"Santa, you remember how you came to be here?"

"Yeah, the old Santa fell off my roof on Christmas, I put on the coat… somehow ended up here, never left. What else, Ziva?"

"Well there was the clause."

"I _am_ the Claus, Ziva."

"No, boss, like the card," Tony explained. "The… contract. There was a second stipulation."

"That Tony somehow _missed_ ," Ziva said scathingly.

"Hey! This is no time for pointing fingers!" Tony retorted. "And I'm not a lawyer, anyone coulda missed it!"

Santa was watching them, eyebrows raised. "All right. What did Tony miss?"

"Hey! I-," he shut up when he saw him glaring. Feeling that if he opened his mouth again, he'd be on the naughty list for the next decade, he decided to keep his mouth shut.

Ziva pulled out the card from her pocket, where she'd obviously been waiting for the exact minute to hand it over. He looked at it, squinting. "I can't see a damn thing."

"Put your glasses on, boss," Tony muttered.

"Shall I fetch a magnifying glass?" Ziva offered at the same time.

He glared at both of them, before holding it out in front of him. He hated that his eyes were getting worse. "What does that say?"

"I can read it for you, boss," Tony offered, and then they knew the exact moment that he'd read the second stipulation. He looked it over for a second, brow creasing into an expression of frustration. And then he looked up at the two of them, glaring, his blue piercing both of them, and they squirmed under his angry gaze.

"I've gotta get _married_?" he demanded.

"Told you he'd be mad. You owe me ten bucks," Tony told Ziva.

"That is really not important right now," Ziva retorted.

"Married?" He dropped the card. "And what happens if I don't get married?"

"You stop being Santa."

"You need to find a wife by Christmas, Santa," Ziva said softly.

He dropped into his chair, shaking his head. "Lemme get this straight: I gotta find a wife in the next month or I stop being Santa? Ya can't be serious."

"It's called the Mrs. Clause," Ziva said, fixing him with a sad look.

"Boss, all you gotta do is go, find a woman and make her fall madly in love with you. Piece of cake!"

"Did ya forget the three times I already tried the whole marriage thing? Didn't exactly work, now did it Tony?"

"I wouldn't know boss, never met your wives. I mean, Diane keeps showing up on the naughty list – I think that's a little biased - and that was before you were Santa," Tony said. "Now is when it counts!"

"Tony, look at me. I'm not tossin' myself back into the game when I've only got thirty days! No one can fall in love in thirty days! And I can't leave the North Pole _now_!"

"Leave me in charge, boss."

"You cannot give up, Gibbs," Ziva said, and he flinched at the use of his real name. "You're the best Santa that the world has ever known!"

"Yeah? Well, maybe the world doesn't deserve a Santa," he mumbled, bitterly.

"That isn't true."

"Ya never met my wives… but… they don't deserve a Santa. Adults have done nothing to deserve Santa."

"Then don't think of the adults of the world. Think of the kids, boss," Tony said. "Just… think of the kids."

He grunted, annoyed, before looking up at them. "Tell me this: where the _hell_ am I gonna find a woman who'll wanna marry _me_?"

 **XNCISX**

Her hands were shaking as she fit her key into the lock, the gold _24_ reflecting the fluorescent lights of the hallway, her bare front door looking austere and out of place in a hallway where every other occupant had placed a wreath on their front door. She finally succeeded in getting the door unlocked, pushing it open, sighing to herself as she lifted the bulging suitcases. "Go on, girls. You can go in." She set down one of the suitcases to flip the light switch.

She frowned when the light didn't go on. The bulb must have burnt out. She closed the door, trying to muster enough cheer for a smile, to reassure her poor nieces that everything was okay, but they'd already disappeared into the depths of the apartment. She leaned against the door, taking a deep breath.

"Auntie Kate!" Laura called, running back to her. "You haven't decorated your house yet!"

"I know, sweetie, but I have a whole month," she said, kneeling down so that she was at eye level. "Besides, this just means that you get to decorate with me! Won't that be fun?"

Laura nodded, giving her a sad look, before pulling her into a hug. "I love you, Auntie Kate."

"Laura!" came the call from Laura's twin. "Come play dolls with me!"

"Here," Kate said, pulling away. "How about I show you your room?"

Laura nodded, as Kate turned on a lamp, resolving to change the lightbulb once the girls were asleep. Elle blinked from where she'd been sitting on the couch in semi-darkness. "Auntie Kate?" she asked.

"I'm showing your room," Kate said. "C'mon, you'll like this." The girls followed her to the door to their temporary quarters, and she opened the door, flipping the light on. "Ta-da!" she said, grinning at them.

They both ran in, grinning, taking joy even from the simple quarters. Kate, leaning in the doorway and watching them, smiled, reminding herself to thank her co-workers who'd gotten the furniture in order on such short notice. It was just twin beds, a night stand between them, and a dresser, but the fact that it was all in the right place made her smile. She didn't deserve her co-workers.

Laura ran back, hugging Kate again, and Kate couldn't help but smile, running a hand over the little girl's hair.

The poor girls were only five, they didn't know what was going on. To them it all seemed like an extended vacation with their favorite aunt.

"Do you like it?" Kate asked. Elle was sitting cross-legged on the bed she'd staked out for herself, already pulling Barbie dolls out of her pink backpack. She looked up, dark eyes staring at Kate, her head tilted slightly, reminding Kate of Elle's father.

"I love it!" Elle promised. "Laura come play with me!"

"You can play with her while I get dinner," Kate offered.

"Auntie Kate?" she asked, pulling away.

"Yes?"

"When are we going home?"

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she knelt down again putting her hands on Laura's shoulders. "I don't know sweetheart. But as soon as you can, okay? It's not so bad with me, is it?"

"No," Laura said, before pulling her into another hug.

"You don't mind sharing a room with your sister, do you?"

"We've always shared," Elle said, answering for her sister. "Always."

"Then I guess this is just like normal then. I'm going to go make dinner, so the two of you can play here while I'm in the kitchen, okay? The bathroom is right through that door."

Laura went to join her sister and Kate left them there, making her way into the kitchen. She leaned against the kitchen island, burying her head in her hands. How could she be expected to do this? Taking on two young girls at the busiest time of year?

She looked around the apartment which held little personal items other than furniture, despite her having lived there since before the twins had been born. And, as Laura had pointed out, it held no Christmas decorations either. She knew she owned Christmas decorations, but they were no doubt buried somewhere in storage.

She managed to barely stifle a bitter laugh as she considered her next move. Why should she decorate? What was the _point_?

When she thought of the Christmases of her youth, this was not how she remembered them. Not the all-consuming disillusionment. All she remembered was glittering Christmas lights reflected on powdery white snow, and a feeling of hope that nothing could destroy.

What had happened to her?

"Auntie Kate?"

She turned, a hand to her chest. "Elle! You scared me!"

"Are we going to get a Christmas tree, Auntie Kate?"

"Yes, of course, why wouldn't we?"

"Because there are no decorations up. At all," Elle said, looking upset. Kate took a deep breath, thinking that however temporary and precarious the situation was, she had to keep a front up for the girls. The three of them would have a Christmas together, no matter what.

"Are you hungry?"

"Kinda."

"In that case, I'll get right on ordering a pizza," Kate said. "And Elle?"

"Yes Auntie Kate?"

"Everything is going to be fine," she told her firmly.

Her niece gave her a skeptical look, one that made her look much older than her five years. "Okay."

Kate could only hope that she was right.

Dinner was a subdued affair, where the twins managed to extract the promise that they'd go hunting for a Christmas tree. "A real one," Laura had said, wide-eyed, "Or it doesn't count."

After putting them to bed, Kate had sat down on the couch, pulling a blanket around herself, and tried to conjure up even a glimmer of hope, staring at the Christmas lights hanging across the street, but all she could feel was empty. She wished, quite irrationally, that she could conjure up half the excitement about Christmas that her nieces possessed. It was all she could think to wish for.

 **XNCISX**

"Jethro! Heavens, what are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, Duck, I woulda called but I didn't have a signal."

"Come in, come in!" Ducky ushered him inside. "What on earth is going on?"

"I'll explain, but first let me thaw out. I've been travelling for ages. My reindeer is in the back yard."

Ducky laughed. "What a marvellous surprise! Of course, come into the library. I've got a fire going in there. And please, Jethro, I would like an explanation, whenever you can provide it." He took his bag from him, setting it down by the sweeping staircase.

Gibbs followed him into the library, stopping in the hallway as he looked himself over in the mirror. He was completely skinny, without a beard, his hair in its typical Marine haircut. He shook his head, grimacing at his appearance. He'd never looked less like Santa, but perhaps it was for the best. As it was, he was too old to be appealing, never mind when he was jolly and bearded. He sank into a plush armchair right by the fire, groaning in relief as he held his hands to the blaze. Ducky sat down across from him, raising an eyebrow at him, so he started out with the truth. "I need to get married, Duck."

"Goodness. That is certainly not what I was expecting."

"I gotta find a wife by Christmas or I stop bein' Santa."

"No easy feat," Ducky said softly, watching him. "I assume that is why you look like your old self."

"Yeah," he ran a hand through his hair. "You could say that."

"And you need a place to stay while you are hunting down the future Mrs. Claus?" Ducky asked, catching on remarkably quick.

"Somethin' like that. Sorry for the short notice."

"Oh it is my pleasure, my friend. It has been so long…" Ducky smiled at him.

"You still working for NCIS?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes, and you don't have to tell me, I know you find it ghoulish." He took a sip of his tea, before fixing Gibbs with a look.

Gibbs, not in the mood for games, simply asked, "What?"

"You've surprised me, Jethro," Ducky said, setting his tea cup down in his saucer. "I never took you for a very sentimental man. Being Saint Nick must mean a lot to you, if you are willing to get married to continue with your job."

"I didn't want to, when I first found out," he said, almost to himself. "Thought _so what_ if I stop bein' Santa? I've seen so many bad things… it's hard to imagine the world deservin' a Santa."

"So why?"

"Because of the kids, Duck. I've seen adults do all kinds 'a shitty stuff to each other. But not kids. _They_ still deserve a Santa. I've always liked kids."

"Jethro, that stance is admirable. But how do you plan on finding a wife? I do have some friends close to your age… I could try and..?"

"Nah, Duck, I'll figure somethin' out. Convinced four women to marry me, didn't I?"

"You were younger then. More foolish," Ducky chuckled. "You didn't have anything to lose back then, Jethro."

"Duck, I need a place to stay, but if it's too much trouble…?"

"No, Jethro, the least I can do is help you. I do have a three-year-old granddaughter who would be absolutely devastated if there was no more Santa Claus. I will warn you though, I will be busy with work."

"You're busy this time of year?"

"It may be a season of peace on earth, but goodwill towards men is nonexistent," he said, chuckling to himself.

"Humans are bastards," Gibbs said, summing it up nicely.

"They rely on my expertise, so I am afraid I will not be around much. You are welcome to my home though."

"You're a lifesaver, Duck."

"Well I do have to consider what is at stake," Ducky said. "The happiness of the world's children and all."

"When you put it like that… makes me want a drink."

"Does Santa drink?" Ducky asked.

Gibbs laughed to himself. "It still amazes me that ya actually believe me."

"And why shouldn't I?" Ducky asked, smiling at him. "Seeing is believing, my dear friend. And do keep in mind, I speak to the dead on a regular basis."

"Any of them talk back?"

"Not yet," Ducky said. And then he frowned. "Jethro, if this is a busy time of year for me, it's surely insanity for you! How… How will the North Pole run without you?"

"I left Tony in charge," Gibbs said.

Ducky scoffed, having met Tony on more than one occasion. "Dear me, Jethro, there will be no Pole to return to if Anthony is in charge."

"He'll be fine. 'Sides. Ziva is keepin' an eye on him."

Ducky simply shook his head. "And they approve of your plan?"

"Little else they can do. It's either that or no Santa."

"It sounds desperate."

Gibbs laughed, looking around the library. "Duck, ya know why I became Santa. I _can't_ stop. Not for the kids… and not for me. Just don't know how I'm gonna convince a woman in thirty days to spend the rest of her life with me."

"Jethro, as one of your oldest friends, I advise you: be yourself."

"An' what am I supposed to say? _Hi there sweetheart, my name is Jethro, but I also go by Santa, and by the way we need to get married ASAP or Santa Claus ceases to exist_?"

"I have the utmost faith in you, Jethro."

"I can't make a woman give up the life she might lead just to come live in a frozen wasteland with me surrounded by people who are too happy all the time."

"You sound like my nephew," Ducky said with a smile.

"Oh, yeah, did he live in the North Pole?"

"No, he lived in Canada," he said, grinning. "Jethro, there _must_ be a woman out there for you."

"She'd hafta be pretty special…"

 **XNCISX**

If this was Christmas, Kate wasn't sure she liked it. Cheesy Christmas songs were blaring over the loud speaker, the strings of bare lightbulb strung up over the tree lot flickered occasionally like the set for a horror movie and there was bare dirt beneath her feet instead of snow. It felt like the scene in any Christmas movie that no director ever dared show.

But the twins had wanted a Christmas tree so here they were. Never mind that a Christmas tree would die, and it was only temporary, and would be kicked to the curb soon enough anyway…

She shook her head, unable to hear herself over the tinny sounds of _Jingle Bell Rock_ , as she bent over to retrieve a mitten that Elle had lost in a candy cane-fuelled burst of Christmas joy, thanks to the owner of the tree farm who Kate knew was lurking nearby, hoping to swindle as much money as he could for a dead bundle of needles that Kate would have to vacuum up come January.

She stopped dead in her track, clutching the mitten to her chest, wondering again when she'd become so disenchanted by Christmas.

"Auntie Kate! Auntie Kate!" Laura called, and she followed the sound of her niece's voice through the rows of trees that stood as silent soldiers, only to find her in front of the scrawniest tree.

She started laughing. "Laura, sweetie, this is the tree you want?"

"It's so sad-looking, Auntie Kate. We should give it a home."

"Honey, it's a tree, not a puppy." She saw her niece's face fall, and knelt down, putting her hands on Laura's shoulders. "Sweetie, how about you and Elle get to have this tree in your room, and then we have a big one out in the living room? How does that sound?"

"You mean Elle and I get our own tree?" she asked, her eyes going wide, and Kate tried to hide her smile. She'd clearly earned good auntie points for suggesting that. "To put things on and everything?"

"Absolutely." If she had been merely guessing at a solution before, the look of pure joy on Laura's face sealed the deal. "You get your own ornaments and everything."

"Really?" she asked, and then looked around frantically for her twin. "Elle! Elle! We get our own Christmas tree!"

Ellie stuck her head out from between two branches, and Kate bit back a sigh at the thought of trying to get needles and sap off of her jacket, and then Elle frowned when she saw the tree. "It's so… small."

Seeing that Laura did not appreciate the insults being levelled at her special (admittedly scrawny) tree, Kate cut her off as she opened her mouth. "Elle honey, this is for your room. It's a very special tree that was made to fit into your room, because you see all these big trees? They wouldn't fit. They'd take up too much room! And then you wouldn't be able to stay in there!"

Elle considered it for a second, then nodded. "Okay. But we get to decorate it?"

"Yes. You _definitely_ get to decorate it."

"Good!" She clapped her hands.

"Glad you approve."

Laura looked up at her. "We're getting it?"

"Yes, Laura, we're getting the little tree for the two of you." She hoped that the tree salesman wouldn't laugh at the scrawny little tree, because it would hurt Laura's feelings. "And you know what? I have a movie we can watch tonight that you might like."

"What movie?" Laura asked.

"A _Charlie Brown Christmas,_ " Kate said, grinning. Looking at the tree, she only hoped it would hold more than a single ornament, or she would be in trouble with both of the twins, not just Laura.

"Does the tree have a name, Auntie Kate?" Laura asked.

"Do you think it should have a name?" she returned, not sure how to answer otherwise.

"Hmmm…" Laura pondered it for a minute, before looking at Kate and grinning. "I think his name should be Oscar!"

"Why Oscar?" Elle asked. "Like the grouch?"

"Yeah! Because he's green!"

Kate started laughing at the logic. "All right. Oscar it is." She started looking around for the tree salesman but he seemed to have disappeared. "Girls," she said, getting another idea. "Do the two of you want some hot chocolate?"

"Yes!" Laura said, and started walking, but stopped in her tracks. "Wait, what if somebody else tries to buy Oscar?"

"No one else is gonna buy him Laura, he's too small!" Elle said.

Kate glared at her, and then said to Laura. "Look, the hot chocolate booth is right there. You can see Oscar from the booth, okay? We're not letting anyone else take him home. Not after you've named him." _And gotten attached to a goddamn tree. Only in my family,_ she thought grimly as the girls excitedly followed her to the hot chocolate booth.

The woman running it smiled at her. "Hello!"

"Hi," Kate said. "Three hot chocolates, please."

"And would these lovely young elves like candy canes in theirs?"

"We're not elves!" Elle complained.

"We're girls!"

The cashier smiled at them. "Really? I thought the two of you were Santa's helpers. Y'know, I _only_ give candy canes to Santa's helpers."

The two girls exchanged a look before giving her their biggest and friendliest grins. "We're elves!" they said together.

Kate started laughing, and handed over the money, dropping five dollars in the tip jar. "Thanks. Has it been busy today?"

"No, not very," the cashier said thoughtfully. "Usually it would be, but it isn't generally busy on Sundays. Most people are in church."

Elle, who hadn't really been listening to the conversation until then, chimed in. "Why aren't we in church, Auntie Kate?"

"Because we're on a special Christmas tree mission."

Laura frowned. "Will the pope be mad at us?"

"I'm sure the pope understands," she mumbled, handing the girls their hot chocolates. "C'mon, let's find a big tree to keep Oscar company."

 **XNCISX**

Gibbs rubbed his hands together, regretting that he'd forgotten to wear gloves. He'd spent too long in the North Pole, and thought he was accustomed to winter. Turns out he'd forgotten the miserable cold, the kind that settled into one's bones regardless of any magic they possessed. Ducky had been lost to the trees and was no doubt waxing poetic to one of the evergreens. From his years of being a medical examiner, Ducky had developed the uncanny knack of carrying on a perfectly normal conversation, regardless of whether or not the things he spoke to were sentient. Gibbs had gotten used to it over time, but still found it mildly unsettling when he'd walked in to find Ducky conversing with the fireplace as he struggled to light a fire.

And yet, Gibbs was grateful for him, for it took a very peculiar man to believe Gibbs and his outlandish story. It was a special kind of madness and Gibbs appreciated it in his oldest friend. As he kept searching through the tree farm, trying to find both a good Christmas tree and Ducky, he found little success in finding either. He had an eye for detail, necessary for a former sniper and vital to Santa Claus.

He stopped in place, looking through the trees, only to feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He turned around slowly, suddenly aware that he was being watched. Sticking his hands casually in his pockets as he saw the eyes staring at him through the needles, he grinned. "Ya can come out now," he said.

And then there was a little girl sneaking through the trees towards him. "Santa?" she asked.

He grinned, as he always did when kids recognized him. He stared at her, the brown curls pinned back from her face with green barrettes, looking like a marshmallow in her puffy winter coat, her brown eyes clear. He had to because of his job, but he really did prefer kids to adults. "Hey Elle," he said softly.

Her eyes went wide. "You know my name?"

"Of course. I know everyone's name, I'm Santa. Where's your sister?" he asked, for he knew somewhere in the back of his brain that Elle Todd had a sister named Laura.

"She's still hiding," Elle informed him. "She's scared of you."

"Of me? Why?"

"Because you don't look like Santa. Why don't you have a beard? And why aren't you fat?" Elle asked, and he hid a smile.

"I'm on a little vacation, so I shaved. I'll look normal for Christmas, I promise. Now tell me, Elle, have you an' Laura been good girls?"

"We tried to be," Elle said.

"Then that's all that matters. Laura, ya don't hafta be scared. You can come out."

The other girl, Elle's twin, stepped out from behind the tree, looking identical to her sister except for the red barrettes in her hair as opposed to green. She walked over slowly, as though she didn't believe that it was really him. "Are you really Santa?"

"Dontcha believe in me, Laura?"

"Of course!"

He grinned. "Then don't ya know me?"

She nodded, slowly. "Yeah."

"What do the two of ya want for Christmas?" he asked, softly, wondering if it would be something like dolls or if it would be a puppy. He was sure he'd heard it all by now.

Laura looked down at the ground, clasping her hands tightly together. "We want to see our daddy," she said.

"That's what ya want?" he asked, looking at her. And he suddenly wondered exactly what the situation with their parents were. Why were they running around unaccompanied in DC of all places? Surely they had a guardian? "Not to see your mom?"

"She's gone," Elle said, looking so sad it hurt him. Damn him, he was going soft in his old age! "We just want our daddy back."

"If that's what ya want, you'll get it. Just keep being good girls, ya got that?"

Elle nodded, and then Laura threw her arms around his neck. He smiled and patted her on the back, before she pulled away. "I will always believe in you, Santa," she told him, serious.

"Thank you, Laura."

"Me too!" Elle said, crossing her arms. He grinned at the two of them, but then looked up as he heard the voice nearby.

"Laura! Elle!" It was a woman's voice, tinged with panic. Their mother? No, she was _gone_. But then who? "Girls! Where are you?"

"Right here!" Elle called back.

"Girls," he said, and they both turned to look at him. "Can ya keep my secret? Nobody here is supposed to know I'm Santa."

"But we know!" Elle protested.

"We won't tell," Laura said, for once speaking out as opposed to her sister. Elle nodded, as the source of the voice drew nearer, and then appeared through the trees.

He stood up from where he was kneeling, and was surprised as he stared at her. Her hair was pulled back, and tucked beneath a beanie, though he could see wisps of brown hair framing her face. Her brown eyes were wide and expressive, and – his eyes weren't failing him quite yet – he could see the haphazard freckles across her cheeks and nose, lending her a youthful look, though her brow was furrowed with worry. She was wearing a puffy jacket that hid her shape and green wool mittens that matched her hat. And maybe it was just because she was just the first woman he'd seen, that he'd really noticed, who wasn't an elf, but _god,_ she was beautiful.

"Who are you, and what are you doing talking to my nieces?" she demanded.

"Your nieces?" he asked, looking at the girls, who grinned back at him, the picture of innocence, and he knew he could trust them to keep his secret. "The ones you let wander around a busy tree farm unsupervised?"

It may have just been the cold, but he watched her blush. And then she squared her shoulders. "They weren't unsupervised, and it's not at all busy. They wandered off when my back was turned as I was _trying_ to buy us Christmas trees."

"Well, maybe ya should teach them not to talk to strangers."

"And maybe you shouldn't encourage them," she retorted. "I don't know who you are, but where I come from, grown men – especially strangers – talking to little girls sets off alarm bells for me."

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs," he said, holding out a hand. "There. Now we're not strangers."

"I'm still not comfortable with you talking to my nieces."

"And I'm not comfortable with guardians who can't properly watch their kids," he said with a smirk, his mouth moving faster than his brain, unsure of why he was saying such things to the poor woman. No doubt she had enough on her plate.

"Are you a genius in child-rearing now, Mr. Gibbs?" she asked.

"I've probably raised more kids than ya, if that's what you're askin', Miss…?"

"I didn't ask," she said, pointedly ignoring his attempts to learn her name, before grabbing the hands of the girls. "But thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, we have to go."

"Well I'd hate to needle ya," he said, grinning. "But I do happen to be an expert on kids."

She turned and glared in his general direction. "Perfect. If I need more unnecessary and unsolicited opinions on child-rearing, I'll know who to call."

"I'll hold you to that!" he called to her retreating back, grinning to himself. He watched her walk away, and sighed, shaking his head. Just because he needed to find a wife in a month, didn't mean he had to pick the very first woman he saw. No doubt there would be other, more friendly women out there, who didn't insult him.

Sure, he was a bastard, but he'd been married before. He started wandering back through the trees, trying to find Ducky among the fragrant needles, wondering if the North Pole was still functioning without him… He came upon his friend quite suddenly, or rather, found him talking to a tree.

" _The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep… and miles to go before I sleep,_ " Ducky said softly.

"Really, Duck, you're talkin' to trees now?" he asked.

"Ah! Hello Jethro! I do believe that this evergreen beauty is the one for us!"

"See if you're sayin' that in a week when you're pickin' needles outta the carpet," Gibbs said, but he grinned.

"Oh, but my dear Jethro, I will not be the one picking needles from the carpet. I leave that to you, and your younger back, my friend."

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks, Duck."

"Can't you just picture it, Jethro?" Ducky said. "This tree… in the study, fully decorated, with presents underneath…"

"Yeah, Duck, I can."

"Do you think we've found what we were looking for, Jethro?"

"Yeah… I think I did."


	2. Chapter 2

"Morning Kate!" Ellie called from the cash register as Kate walked in, the tension in her shoulders easing as she walked into the store. "What do you think?"

"What do I think?" Kate asked, looking around the store with a huge smile spreading across her face. "It's… amazing, Ellie! You guys really outdid yourselves this year."

"Don't thank me," Ellie warned as Kate walked over, still looking around in awe. The grand stairways, leading to the second floor, with the cash registers nestled in between, were wreathed with garlands of greenery, and at the top of the staircase in the place of honor stood the enormous Christmas tree. Strings of Christmas lights were everywhere, the balcony wrapping around the second floor bedecked with tinsel. Far above them, a chandelier sparkled, reflecting the light from the large front windows.

Laura and Elle were staring with their mouths open, as Kate made her way behind the cash register, heading for her office underneath the stairs. "How much do I owe you, Ellie?"

"Nothing," Ellie said as Kate hung up her coat.

"Ellie, I-,"

"Part of the job," Ellie cut her off.

"No, it's not."

"Kate. I have way too much free time. So does Tim. Even got Nick to pitch in."

Kate laughed. "Really?"

"Never put three bored, lonely people together in one place at Christmas," Ellie told her, and then turned to the girls, who looked stunned by the seemingly endless shelves of toys. "Hi guys! You must be Kate's nieces! I've heard so much about you!"

"All nice things," Kate reassured them. "Laura, Elle, this is Ellie."

"Nice to meet you," Elle said, offering a frighteningly large grin.

"Hi," Laura said, shyly.

"Girls, why don't we put your coats away?" Kate asked.

"Good choice with the jackets!" Ellie called, as the girls followed Kate to the office.

"I know," Kate called back. "It tastes like snow out there, and I'm not taking chances."

"The forecast is definitely calling for it."

"Snow?" Laura asked, hopefully.

"Yeah, Laura, snow. Ellie, when does the snow start?"

"This afternoon!"

Kate put the girls' jackets on the coat rack in her office, before heading back out to the front, followed by the girls, who looked as though they'd stumbled onto Santa's workshop. "You two can explore, you know. I'll come find you once the store opens and you can hang out in my office, okay?"

"Okay!" Elle said, and before Laura could protest, she grabbed her arm and tugged her into the brightly-lit utopia, to explore the wonders the store had to offer.

Kate smiled to herself, watching them, before turning back to Ellie. "Seriously Ellie, what do I owe you?"

"You don't owe me anything. You have your hands full with the girls, and well… what else would I do with my weekend?"

"Go out?" Kate suggested, smiling. "Meet someone?"

Ellie made a face. "Too soon."

Kate leaned against the counter. "I'll buy you lunch, how does that sound?"

"Are you bribing me with food?"

"It's not a bribe, it's a _thank you_ ," Kate said, eyebrows raised. She turned to check the time, and then smiled as the door opened, the bell ringing out loud and clear, only to admit a very windswept Timothy McGee, cheeks red with the cold.

"Good morning Kate, Bishop," he said, walking in, unwrapping his scarf.

"Morning Tim. Heard you helped out with this?" Kate asked, gesturing to the decorations.

"Yep. Had a great time, too. Wish you could've come."

"It is a tradition…" Ellie said, but trailed off when she saw the sad look on Kate's face.

"I would've come, but the girls…" Kate said, gesturing helplessly in the direction of her office.

Tim nodded, understanding. And then he grinned at Kate. "I had a quiet weekend. The airline website kept crashing."

"You still can't get a flight?" Kate asked, dismayed.

Tim shook his head.

"Oh look, the Lonely Hearts Club," came a voice from behind them, and sighing internally, Kate turned, forcing a smile.

"Good morning, Torres."

"It's never a good mornin' around here."

"Go on," Ellie said, shooing him from behind the cash register. "Go back to the cave."

He whipped off his sunglasses, which he wore indoors for God only knew what reason. "Rather be in there than out here, Bish."

"We don't want you out here anyway. It's Christmas, Nick!" Ellie protested. "You could at least _pretend_ to be happy."

"Why?" he asked in response.

"Because, Nick," Kate said firmly. "'Tis the season."

 **XNCISX**

He managed to fight off the urge to bang his head against a wall as he stepped out of the diner, where he'd been on a date, with a friend of Ducky's. Why he'd agreed to go out with one of Ducky's friends, he didn't know, but it had been a terrible idea. Mostly because she was a psychologist and was trying to get in his head (as opposed to most women who wanted in his pants) and she'd started analyzing him the minute he'd opened his mouth to say hello. Yes, he would not be going on a second date with Samantha Ryan.

He and Ducky were going Christmas shopping, but to do that, it meant he had to pick Ducky up from where he worked. As Gibbs drove through the front gate of the Navy Yard, he'd had to suffer through the few moments of recognition. Apparently the years away had done nothing to stop the embellishment of his reputation. It had gotten worse, but he'd managed to get in the building relatively unscathed, the visitor's badge denoting his ex-agent status.

He didn't mind; he'd seen enough awful things for one lifetime, and with that in mind, he could only hope that Ducky didn't have a body on the table. As he walked off the elevator, and into autopsy, still managing a stealth unknown to most, Dr. James Palmer was babbling to Ducky, and Gibbs quickly figured out who he was talking about.

"I'm not saying that Gibbs doesn't have the Christmas spirit, but come to think of it, has anyone seen him and the Grinch in the same room?"

Ducky was grinning. "No, Dr. Palmer, but if you're so curious about his double life, why don't you ask him?"

Palmer turned around, mouth dropping open. "Mr. Gibbs… I am… so sorry, I never would've…"

"It's okay, Palmer. Nice to see you again."

"You too… I'm gonna… run these up to Abby," he said, before bolting from the lab.

Gibbs turned to Ducky. "Double life, Duck, really?"

"Come now Jethro, don't take it personally."

"Bah humbug," he muttered. "Aw jeez, Duck." He'd realized then that there was a body on Ducky's table.

"Ah yes, well, no doubt your Christmas season is going much better than this poor fellow's."

"Are we goin' or not?"

"Yes, I just want to ensure that Dr. Palmer comes back before I leave. How were things with Dr. Ryan?"

"Ya know my rule about lawyers?"

"Yes…?"

"It should apply to psychologists too. Don't need a woman who's always tryin' to get inside my head."

"No, Jethro, but you do need _a_ woman," Ducky reprimanded. "Any woman!"

"Gibbs!" came a yell from behind him. He turned only to stagger backwards as his old friend crashed into him.

"Abs," he said, hugging her. "Good to see you."

"How are you? How are things?"

"Good. I'm just visitin' Duck for the holidays."

"We need to get together before you go back to work!" she insisted.

"Abigail," Ducky said, and she turned. "I do believe you have tissue samples to run?"

"Sorry Ducky. I'll go." She kissed Gibbs on the cheek. "So good to see you!" As she ran back out of the lab, Ducky shrugged on his coat with a smile.

Gibbs was grinning too. "Abby is the definition of the _nice_ list."

"Shall we?" Ducky asked, gesturing to the door.

 **XNCISX**

"Auntie Kate?"

She turned to her niece, harried, wisps of hair sticking out from her ponytail which might have been perfect at some point, and asked, a little more exasperated than necessary "What, Laura?"

"Does Santa like sugar cookies or chocolate chip cookies?"

"I think he prefers gingerbread cookies," Gibbs said, stepping up to the counter with a grin, having noticed exactly who his cashier was.

She turned to him, as did her niece- Laura, was that her name?- and frowned when she saw him. "You."

"Hi," he said with a grin. "Funny how we keep runnin' into each other."

"Funny isn't the word I'd use, but sure," she said, eyeing him.

He winked at Laura who grinned and hurried back into the depths of the store, as the woman – Kate – turned back to him, unimpressed, eyebrows raised. "Afternoon."

"Can I help you with something, sir?" she asked.

"Nope," he said with a grin.

"Then you'll have to move aside, since I have actual paying customers, who want to buy something, with actual money, and not baking advice."

"You really don't like me, do ya?" he asked.

"It has nothing to do with whether or not I like you, but some of us work for a living, and you're keeping me from doing my job. Nothing personal."

He leaned against the counter. "Nothin' personal? Don't ya think it's interesting that I turned up here?"

"Well, sir, it _is_ a toy store, and this _is_ the Christmas season, so at best, it's simply a coincidence… or just bad luck on my part that you picked _my_ store to shop at."

"Is that right, Caitlin?" came a voice from behind Gibbs, and he frowned. How…?

"You know this guy?" she asked, turning back to the cash register, not looking at the intruder with any of the contempt she'd shown Gibbs. "In that case, I pity you." And then Ducky stepped out from behind Gibbs, and she froze in place, her mouth dropping open. If Gibbs didn't know better, he'd say she looked almost embarrassed. "Dr. Mallard… I'm so sorry, I didn't, I mean- I…"

He smiled, every bit the grandfatherly figure, in a way that made it evident that he knew the cashier. "At ease, Caitlin, it's quite all right. That's the reaction most people have to Jethro here. No harm, no foul. Now… can you recommend an ideal gift for my granddaughter? She's three years old, and I haven't the slightest notion of what to get her."

"Victoria is three already?" Kate asked with a smile. "Wow… that makes me feel old."

"You and me both, my dear. Now, you must know something about toys."

"I know a little bit," she admitted. "A three year old girl… hmm…" As she leaned against the counter, deep in thought, Gibbs felt it necessary to interject.

"Aw Duck," he said. "I can help ya with that, ya don't hafta bug her."

"What, are you an expert on toys now too?" she asked, still unfazed, her brow furrowed in annoyance at his interrupting her.

"Actually, yeah. I am."

"Jethro here owns a toy company up north. Very popular with children."

She rolled her eyes. "What, like Santa?"

"Yeah," he said with a grin. "Kinda like Santa."

"Cute," she remarked, the edge evident in her tone.

"So you're not the only one who works for a livin'," he warned.

"Jethro, don't antagonize the poor girl," Ducky reprimanded gently. "And come help me find something for Victoria. Dr. Palmer would never forgive me if I didn't get the right gift."

"He hero worships you, so I kinda doubt that," Gibbs retorted.

Kate grinned. "I'm with the doctor here."

"You two know each other?" Gibbs asked.

"We're acquainted," Ducky said coyly.

"You could say that," Kate replied. One of her employees walked past, his nose practically pressed to his phone, and she grabbed him by the sleeve. "Tim, could you help Ducky here find a gift for his granddaughter?"

He looked up, green-blue eyes wide in surprise at the notion of being asked to work while at work, and Gibbs barely suppressed a look of contempt. He was also surprised that she didn't reprimand him. And then Tim saw Ducky and Gibbs, sliding the phone into his pocket. "Sure thing, Kate," he mumbled, sounding dejected.

"Still no luck?" she asked him, a hand on his shoulder.

He shook his head, but turned and smiled at Ducky. "How old is she?"

"Three."

"Does she have any special interests…?" he asked, appearing to get invested in his work. Gibbs watched his interaction with Kate, her hand still on his shoulder, but he didn't think they were romantically involved. Though from the slight smile on her face as she watched Tim work, he could tell there was some measure of affection between them.

Ducky was about to answer, but shook his head. "The cold weather has apparently destroyed my concentration…"

"Supposed to snow today," Kate said, looking wistful. "I can't wait. The first snow of the season is always my favorite."

"Really?" Gibbs asked, before checking his watch. He tapped it once, unsure if it was working, and then turned back to Kate, as Ducky started telling Tim about Victoria's interests.

"Kate, look!" came a call from the other cashier, whose cash register was currently devoid of customers. She looked younger than Kate and Tim, blonde hair tied back, and face contorted in an expression of joy. She was pointing, to the front of the store. Gibbs and Ducky both turned around, distracted, as Kate's mouth dropped open.

The snow had just started falling outside, muting the harsh outside of the world, and making the inside feel warmer by comparison. The sight of the snow was enough to make Gibbs smile- even he wasn't immune.

"Tim, do you mind covering my register?" Kate asked.

"Sure, why?"

She had disappeared into the back room as soon as he'd agreed, and then hurried past Gibbs and Ducky, tugging her coat on as she went. The bell above the door rang as she made her exit.

Gibbs and Ducky exchanged a look, but Tim simply grinned, continuing his discussion with Ducky. Gibbs checked his watch, noticing that his ration of magic had decreased. He ducked out, nodding at Tim, following Kate into the snowy air outside.

She was standing there, arms outstretched, head back as she stared at the heavens, snow falling on her, and her eyes were closed, face frozen in an expression of rapture. It was just starting to get dark. The streetlights weren't on yet, but the glow of coloured Christmas lights and store windows could be seen through the fast-falling snow.

The street was mysteriously devoid of people as she stood there, and he stood just outside the door, watching her. She looked so gloriously happy, and the woman who had snarked at him had disappeared- it was like just seeing the snow had turned her from Scrooge to Bob Cratchit. She turned, and smiled at him, a sight that warmed him to the core. "It's like magic!"

"Yeah," he said, smiling. "Just like magic."


	3. Chapter 3

Gibbs wrapped his scarf tighter around his face, following Ducky and Abby, who were chattering away like the wind wasn't like a chilly slap in the face, and he wished suddenly that he was allowed to just use magic to find himself a wife, instead of going through the useless charade of pretending he could find love in a month.

Somehow the two of them had talking Gibbs into going with them to the Christmas market being held that day. Like an idiot, he'd agreed. But all of the goodwill that had burned within him at the sight of the first snow (even if it had been his fault) had evaporated as the weather had turned colder, and now here he was, bent into the wind, looking like a modern-day Scrooge. At least it wasn't snowing.

All of the people around, chattering and carrying on with their lives- how would they act if they knew who he was? Would they be just as carefree, or would they stiffen around him, monitoring every phrase that came out of their mouths?

As he passed through the crowds of people that had flocked to the Christmas market, laughing and gossiping around them, he couldn't stop himself from analyzing their faces. He was no psychologist, but he did have his list. And he _had_ checked it twice.

The woman in the green coat leaning against the hot chocolate stall? _Nice._

The man walking past with an arm around his girlfriend? _Naughty_ (according to the list, not just Gibbs who was a tad bitter).

Abby and Ducky, walking in front of him, arm and arm? _Nice and Nicer._

"Excuse me mister!" Someone was tugging at his coat, and he turned, only to find a tiny redhead girl grinning up at him, one of her front teeth missing. He grinned down at her, ignoring the feeling like he'd been sucker-punched. Kelly would be a grown woman by now, so why did seeing such a little girl hurt so much?

"Hi there, Brianna," he said, kneeling down. "How can I help ya?"

"I want a puppy," she told him seriously.

He grinned. "Is that right?"

"Brianna!" A woman ran over, catching a glimpse of her daughter, and her errant curls were whirling in the wind, her accent vaguely British-sounding, and she seemed quite out of place in the sea of Americans. She put her hands on her daughter's shoulder, "What did I tell you about running off? And bothering strangers?" She brushed a curl out of her face, mumbling to herself, and Gibbs could have sworn that she mumbled, "Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ" to herself.

"She wasn't bothering me, ma'am," he said, smiling as he stood. He winked at Brianna who smiled, gleeful.

Brianna's poor mother, looking more harried by the second, rushed off with her daughter. Shaking his head, Gibbs continued on his path.

Looking at the snow on the ground, as they wandered in between the stalls, he smiled to himself when he found a small green mitten abandoned in the snow. His knees protesting, he knelt to retrieve it, before looking around for its owner, who had to be missing it with the ever-present chill in the air.

And then, at one of the vendor's stalls, he spotted her, and grinned to himself as he recognized the trio. He wandered over, and spoke softly, so as not to startle them. "Excuse me, miss, I believe this is yours?"

Laura turned around, and saw who it was, promptly grinning, as she took her mitten back from Gibbs. "Mr. Gibbs!" she cried, excited.

Kate, who had turned around too, saw him and sighed, crossing her arms. "Of all the Christmas markets in all the towns in all the world, and you had to walk into mine," she said, but there was a hint of a smile beneath her annoyance.

" _Casablanca_ ," he said in response.

"Bless you," Laura told him seriously, and Kate placed her hand on her niece's head, smirking.

"Very good, Mr. Gibbs. Gold star."

"Thank you." And then there was an awkward pause, as he shifted from one foot to the other, before smiling at her. "Listen, I don't think we got off on the right foot the other day, so let's try this again. I'm Leroy Jethro Gibbs. And you are?" he asked, holding out a hand.

She took it, the smirk blossoming into a smile, "Kate. Todd."

"So, Miss Todd, isn't _Casablanca_ a little before your time?" he asked.

She laughed. "Is this your way of telling me that you're very old and actually saw _Casablanca_ in theaters? Because if so, you don't look half bad."

"Dermatologists hate me," he said with a wink. "So this is what ya do when you're not workin' for a living?"

"Even people in the toy business need a break every once in a while, you know," she told him.

"Oh trust me, I know." Seeing her confused look, he grinned. "Remember, I work in toys too."

"Right… up north. Where exactly…?"

"Canada?" he said.

"Caitlin, it's good to see you again," Ducky said, cutting it at just the right moment. Gibbs preferred to keep the bullshit to a minimum but it was hard, all things considered. "You remember Abigail, surely?"

"Hey Abby," Kate said, hugging her. "It's been a while."

"How is the toy shop doing?" Abby asked, immediately.

"Not bad. I've got poor Ellie and Tim working overtime, and I feel bad, but…" she shrugged. "'Tis the season, right?"

"Well if you ever need a volunteer, I'll gladly help!" Abby offered.

"What are you doing here, Caitlin?" Ducky asked, and Gibbs shot him a look.

"I thought I'd show the girls around…" she replied. "And we figured what better way to spend a Saturday than here?"

"Coulda picked a warmer day," Gibbs muttered.

"I'd thought you'd be used to cold by now, Jethro," Ducky scolded, as Kate grinned.

"Actually, we were just about to head over to the ice rink, and do some skating," Kate said, looking between Gibbs, Ducky and Abby. "You're welcome to join us."

"Oh, no, my dear, at my age, it would be risking life and limb… However fond I was of ice-skating in my youth… I remember one time I had talked a lovely young lady named Sheila into going skating with me…"

"Duck," Gibbs cut him off softly.

He grinned. "I am sorry. Forgive an old man's ramblings."

"Nothing to forgive," Kate reassured him, kissing him on the cheek as she walked past.

"Abigail was going to help me find some Christmas gifts," he said.

"And then we're going to grab a tea," Abby said with a smile. "Ducky's choice of course. If it was up to me, I'd be drinking Caf-Nog."

"Caf-Nog?" Kate asked, pausing, clearly interested.

"Yeah it's a mix of Caf-Pow and eggnog! Old family recipe… Hasn't caught on yet."

"I can't imagine why," Gibbs muttered, and Abby shot him a look. He winked at her.

"So no takers?" Kate asked, about to shepherd her nieces towards the rink.

"Yeah I'm in," he said, squaring his shoulders.

She turned in surprise. " _You_?"

"No need to sound so surprised… Katie."

She blushed. It might have been the cold, but her cheeks turned pink all the same.

"Go on then, Jethro," Ducky told him, and there was a hint of a smile on the old man's face, that made it very clear. And while it was slightly embarrassing that Ducky knew his intentions, it also made him feel like a bit of a liar, befriending Kate for all the wrong reasons, instead of all the right ones.

But there was no shame in simply being Kate's friend, was there?

"So," she started, as they were walking in the direction of the ice rink. "Along with toys and children, are you also an expert on cinema?"

"Nah," he said, chuckling. "Not much to do where I live, so…" he found he was at a loss for words.

She eyed him sympathetically. "Not very talkative, are you?" she asked.

"Nope," he replied, suddenly missing the days when all he had to worry about was his boat and his bourbon… or even a few months prior when his only concern was providing toys for every child in the world. _The good old days,_ he reflected wryly.

"That's okay," she told him. "I don't mind. But I'm warning you… I babble… a _lot_."

"Thanks for bein' upfront with me," he told her, and she laughed. He grinned to himself, wanting to make her laugh again. "It's almost a good thing Laura lost her mitten."

She snorted, "Yeah so you could run into me- wait." She stopped dead in her tracks, turning to stare at him. Laura and Elle had kept walking, unaware that anything was wrong, giggling together, and communicating in a way that only twins could. "You can tell the two of them apart already?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Because no one else learned to tell them apart that fast… even their own father gets them mixed up sometimes." She seemed surprised, and he almost felt guilty that he hadn't just been uncannily good at knowing their names because he knew everyone's name. He doubted he could downplay it as gut instinct, and instead just gave her a cocky smile, eyebrows raised.

"Guess I've gotta gift or somethin'."

"Let's just go with _or something,_ " she teased, and the two of them grinned together, as they reached the edge of the skating rink.

"Been a long time since I've done this," he admitted as she paid to rent three pairs of skates, and he got himself a pair.

"How long?" she asked. "Since _Casablanca_ came out?"

"Very funny," he retorted, seeing a spark in her eyes. "Probably twenty years."

"Wow," she said, her eyebrows going up. "That is _so_ long."

"If I had to bet, I'd say that's most 'a your lifetime, Katie, so don't go there."

"Very funny," she mimicked him, rolling her eyes, as she made her way over to a bench. He stood there, looking at her, backlit by the Christmas lights strung over the rink, the multicolored lights reflecting on the ice, and making Kate look otherworldly. The twins joined her on the bench, trying to lace up their skates, but only succeeding in tying their laces into knots.

"Here, Laura, let me help ya out," he said, kneeling down in front of Laura.

She looked down at him. "Thanks," she said, before burying her face in her jacket, her cheeks and the tip of her nose pink.

"Thank you, Gibbs," Kate said, a hand on his shoulder, from where she was kneeling in front of Elle, lacing her skates. Having her in such close proximity was dizzying, and he found himself staring into her eyes, blue into brown. _I can just befriend her, can't I?_ he wondered again, but turned back to finish Laura's laces, feeling almost shamed.

Once they were all laced up, they made their way onto the ice. He pulled Kate aside as the girls made their way onto the ice, taking off. "Do the girls need help?" he asked.

"Nah they could skate before they could walk," she replied with a grin. "Might not wanna skate too close to me though."

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because off the ice, I'm a walking disaster, and clumsy, and have had two sets of shelving at the stores collapse in my presence," she told him, eyes sparkling.

"Well maybe on ice, you're different," he told her.

"Don't bet on it," she told him. He followed her onto the ice, and as she skated ahead, he felt his jaw drop.

Her protests about being awkward were completely unfounded. On ice, she was graceful, skating, and laughing to herself, her hair flying out behind her, as she kept the girls company, and he found himself having to lean on the boards as he watched her, awed.

 _I can just befriend her,_ he reminded himself, but as if aware of his less-than-platonic thoughts towards her, Kate turned and shot a quizzical look at him when she saw that he hadn't moved. And if that wasn't enough of a sign from above, she had paused just underneath a gigantic clock, a clock that was ticking away the minutes and hours and days until he stopped being Santa, unless… unless…

 _Unless_ was a powerful word.

He was snapped out of his trance when Kate skated up to him, nearly running into several couples who had idiotically decided to skate holding hands, and tilted her head to the side, eyebrows raised. "Everything okay, Gibbs?"

"Yeah," he told her. "Fine."

She narrowed her eyes for a second, as if able to discern that he was lying, before grabbing his hands. "Well come on then!" His eyes went wide, as this was the first time she'd touched him, and she actually seemed happy. It seemed they'd reached a truce. She tugged him off to where the girls were and the four of them were content to skate together.

And then she slapped him on the chest. "Tag," she informed him. "You're it!"

"Yeah!" Laura cheered, momentarily forgetting her shyness.

"Get her, Mr. Gibbs!" Elle called, as Kate darted away, laughing. He followed her, the wind swirling around him, and sending snow floating from its place on the ice, and he hurried after her, chuckling, as he followed her around the ice.

The other people were shooting them dirty looks, but he didn't care, he was too busy laughing, short of breath though he was, and he finally managed to lay a hand on her shoulder, wheezing out a "tag" of his own.

And then it happened.

Their skates collided, the result of an ill-timed stop on his part, and Kate slid backwards, crashing into the boards while he, with nowhere else to go, crashed into her. He was pressed against her, up close and _much_ too personal, considering they were barely acquainted. Both of them were breathless and laughing, but she stopped laughing, staring up at him.

He pulled away immediately, and she simply swallowed before saying "Sorry."

"… no need to apologize…" he wheezed, hands on his knees.

She put a hand on his shoulder, "You okay?"

"Yeah… fine. Rule against apologizin'."

"Oh, in that case…" She slapped him again on the shoulder. "Tag!" And then she took off as he straightened, shaking his head. "That's cheating!" he yelled. "Minx," he mumbled under his breath, before following her.

 **XNCISX**

It seemed that no matter where Kate went, she was followed by cheesy Christmas music. And what was worse, was that all places seemed to play the same Christmas station, so she was assaulted on all sides by _Silver Bells_ and the same radio ads over and over again.

It was getting dark in the market, the strings of Christmas lights contributing to the joyful atmosphere, and occasionally they flickered like candles, not always sustained by the electricity flowing through them, as Kate and Gibbs walked around with the twins.

She hated to admit that he was growing on her. It had helped that he already knew the twins' names, despite having met them only twice before, and helped that he know Dr. Mallard, whose judgement and choice in friends she trusted. And it was only the beginning of December, but somehow being around him made her feel the slightest bit more festive.

"Auntie Kate," Elle asked.

"Yes sweetie?" she asked, turning to her.

"Can we buy something?" Elle asked, pointing to a stall that seemed to be overflowing with cheap trinkets that no reasonable person above the age of ten would want to buy.

"Yeah!" Laura chimed and Kate smiled, albeit reluctantly.

"All right, you two can pick out one thing each. _One thing_ ," she told them firmly.

"Okay!" they agreed, rushing over.

"What a rip-off," Gibbs mumbled beside her as they followed the girls.

She snorted, and then turned to him. "I suppose you'd know all about toy quality."

"For sure, Katie," he told her, hands in his pockets.

She felt her cheeks heat up despite the cold. "Listen… I'm sorry for not being very polite when we first met… or when we met the second time."

He shrugged. "Already told ya, gotta rule against apologies."

"You weren't kidding about the rules?" she asked in return.

He shook his head, and then smiled. "Got nothin' to apologize for, Katie. You were just protectin' your nieces… I get it. No shame in that."

"I'm not really fit to be a parent," she found herself confessing to him.

He turned in surprise. "I wouldn't say that."

"What, from our three meetings?" she joked, before becoming more sober. "It's not like I planned on this."

"How did ya-," he started, but realizing he was about to ask an intrusive question, he was relieved when he was cut off by Elle.

"Auntie Kate we found what we want!"

"Okay, I'm coming," Kate said, changing immediately from melancholy to cheerful, and she was surprised to feel that the girls had actually cheered her up. And they had prevented her from answering any questions from Gibbs that she didn't want to answer. She walked over, to find that Elle was holding out a light-up yoyo, that flashed in a way that already made Kate's head ache, but she hadn't set a limit on what they could get. It was just another oversight, a little slip that proved she was most likely not fit for parenting.

"This is a yoyo, right Auntie Kate?" Elle asked.

"Yes, honey, that's what it is."

"It'll be three dollars for the yoyo, and five for the ring," The vendor told her.

"The ring?" she asked, sure that she was going crazy.

"Yeah, the mood ring that your daughter picked up.

"That's highway robbery," Gibbs interjected. "For these flimsy pieces of tin and plastic?"

"Hey, buddy, take it or leave it. Jeez, the last thing I need is some man comin' up to my stall, and complainin' about my prices… I don't need you defendin' your girl's honor."

"Oh, no, no, no, we're not together," Kate said. "Although he's right." She pulled out her wallet anyway, not caring, before realizing. "Dammit." She looked up. "Do you take credit cards?"

"Do I look like a freakin' bank to you, lady? Cash only."

She put her wallet back in her bag, before passing over the three dollars for the stupid yoyo. "Dammit," she mumbled again, before looking at Laura, who was staring back, wide-eyed. She swallowed, not wanting to disappoint her, "Laura, honey, I-,"

"Here," Gibbs said, handing over the five dollars for the ring.

"Gibbs," Kate said, embarrassment overcome by a hot flash of anger. She tugged him away from the booth and the girls followed. "What the hell was that?"

"That don't sound like a _thank you_ ," he said, confused, trying to read her face.

"I don't need your charity, Gibbs. Or your pity for that matter," she snapped.

"It's five bucks, Kate. And it isn't for you, it's for this young lady right here." He placed a hand on Laura's head, as she admired the cheap piece of metal like it was the greatest treasure she'd ever seen. "'Sides, what're friends for?"

Abashed, she ducked her head, and then opened her mouth, before shaking her head. "I shouldn't be such a Grinch. Thank you." She squeezed his hand. "Now what do you say we go get some hot chocolate and look at the light displays?"

"Light displays?" Laura asked.

"Hot chocolate?" Elle asked at the same time, just as excited.

Gibbs and Kate laughed, exchanging a look. With a half-shrug, Gibbs grinned. "Priorities, I guess."

"Well, you're definitely invited."

"As long as there are cookies with the hot chocolate," he grinned. "Otherwise… unacceptable."

She laughed. "What kinda cookies are we talking?"

"Gingerbread. Holiday classic," he told her.

"Simple pleasures, hmm?" she asked, as they started wandering in the direction of the hot chocolate stall.

"Oh yeah, sure."

As they walked, Kate caught sight of the line to see Santa. "Girls, do you want to meet Santa?"

The twins exchanged a look, before smiling at Kate. "Nope," Elle told her.

"No thank you," Laura said, polite as ever.

"What?" she asked. "Do you not believe in Santa?"

"We do believe in him," Elle said. "But we don't need to meet him."

"All right," Kate mumbled, following them. "That's strange," she said to Gibbs. "When I was their age, I would have been _dying_ to meet Santa."

Gibbs chuckled, before grinning to himself. "'M sure they'll meet him eventually."

"Sure," she said, giving him a surprised look.

"Before ya ask, yes, I'm an expert on Santa too," he said, turning to her. "And well… here… in case ya need an expert on anythin' else." He handed her his phone number.

She laughed and took his arm. "C'mon Gibbs, you're not getting out of lights, gingerbread and hot chocolate _that_ easily."

"Don't wanna get out of it."


	4. Chapter 4

"Wow… Boss. You sure look… different."

He sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah, Tony, thanks. _That's_ why I called."

"So I can compliment your good looks?" Tony asked, smirking.

"You idiot," Ziva said, nudging him aside so that she was in the frame. "Gibbs, I am amazed. You learned how to use a computer."

"Well, he did have help," Ducky piped up, walking in with a cup of tea. "Jethro, is the computer working for you?"

"Yeah, thanks Duck," Gibbs said, turning away from the laptop to take the tea from Ducky.

"Things are going about as well as you'd expect up here," Tony said.

"You should not have left him in charge," Ziva said.

"I trust that he's competent enough, Ziva. 'Sides, thought you were supposed to keep an eye on him?"

"Well, I-," she stopped. "You are right, Gibbs. He is doing fine. The elves are worried."

"Any luck finding a chick, boss?"

"Toy production is going well," Ziva cut in, glaring at Tony. "Everything should be ready in time for Christmas…"

"That's good to hear, Ziver. What else, Tony?"

"Uh, let's see… We lost a day or two on baking when one of the ovens stopped working."

"How badly did it affect the quotas?" Gibbs asked.

"It was not that bad, Gibbs," Ziva tried.

"How bad, Ziver?"

"We have to work double time for a few days, but we will manage, and there's no point dying over spilt milk."

Tony laughed. "It's _crying_ over spilt milk. Look, boss, there's no need to worry, we're doing great here. What about you? Found yourself a special somebody yet?"

"Tony," he started, annoyed, but Tony rushed to clear it up.

"Sorry, boss, it's just that the clock is ticking, you know-," as Tony spoke, Gibbs's phone rang.

He held up a finger, turning away from the computer, checking the caller ID. It was an unknown caller, but he picked up all the same. "Yeah, Gibbs."

"Oh thank God, you answered." It was Kate, and she sounded like she was about to cry. "I didn't know who else to call-,"

"Wait, Katie, slow down. What's wrong? Did something happen to the twins?"

"Something came up, a family emergency, and I have to go… and I need someone to watch the girls, and I'm so sorry to bother you, but-,"

"I'll be there," he told her, cutting her off gently. "Text me your address, okay? And Katie… take a deep breath. It's going to be okay."

He turned back to Tony and Ziva, who were trying and failing to look interested. "Who was _that_ , boss?" Tony asked.

"Not important, Tony. Just keep workin' hard," Gibbs told him. "I gotta go." He slammed the laptop closed before standing, hurrying to look for his coat.

"Jethro, what is going on?" Ducky asked, and Gibbs turned, having forgotten he was in the room.

"Duck, I hafta go. Kate needs me."

"Should I accompany you, Jethro?"

"Nah, Duck, it's okay. I just… hafta go."

 **XNCISX**

Arriving at Kate's apartment, he was surprised to notice that while the other doors on her floor were bedecked with wreathes and lights, hers was bare minus the gold _24_ that reflected the lights. He knocked, unwinding his scarf, and the door was opened to reveal a red-eyed Kate, who seemed to have calmed down a little bit in the time it had taken him to get there. "Katie," he said gently, stepping in and putting his hands on her shoulder. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, Gibbs."

"What's goin' on?"

"Look, Gibbs, I promise I'll explain when I get back, but I need to go." She brushed a hand over her eyes. "I'm sorry to disturb your evening, but I couldn't think of anyone else to call, and you're good with the twins-,"

"Kate. Deep breath. And then go what ya gotta do. I'll look after the girls. Is there anythin' I need to know about them?"

"They haven't eaten dinner yet, they'll eat pretty much anything, no allergies," she reported, but he could see her mind was somewhere else.

"Are ya sure you're good to drive?"

She gave him a wan smile. "I'm fine, Gibbs, but thank you. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but help yourself to food and if I'm back late tonight, or tomorrow, you can stay in my room. I'm really sorry-,"

"Stop apologizin', it's not your fault," he said gently.

"You're the greatest," she said, squeezing his hand. "I really didn't mean to dump this into your lap."

"Hey, spending an evenin' with my favorite set of twins instead of just me an' Ducky starin' at each other? I'd take that any night."

"I just have to say goodbye to the twins… they don't really know what's going on, but I don't want to scare them."

"Spoken like a true parent," he teased.

She blushed. "I'm no parent, trust me Gibbs." And she walked over, opening the door to one of the rooms, Gibbs following her. "Girls, Mr. Gibbs is here. He's gonna look after you, but I'll be back."

"Really?" Elle asked, excited.

"Are you okay, Auntie Kate?" Laura asked, standing up from where she and Elle were sitting, Barbie dolls lying around them like the victims of a massacre. She was twisting her mood ring nervously around her finger, as she walked over.

Kate knelt down. "I'm fine, sweetheart, don't worry about me. Just be good girls for Mr. Gibbs, okay?" She smoothed a hand over Laura's hair, and Laura nodded.

"Okay." She hugged Kate quickly, and Kate smiled into the hug, before standing back up, walking over and kissing Elle on the top of her head.

"Love you, girls."

"Love you too!" they chorused.

Gibbs walked Kate to the door, a hand on her back. She stopped at the door, pulling on her coat. "I owe you one," she told him.

"Nah. What are friends for?"

She hesitated for a second and then took his hand, squeezing it. "I'll try and not be away too long."

"It's okay, Katie. We'll be waitin' right here for ya."

She nodded and left, the door closing quietly behind her. He stood there, in the hallway, unsure of why she had thought of him first… surely she had family that could watch the twins? He made his way back to the twins' room, leaning in the doorframe. There was a pathetic-looking mini Christmas tree that looked like a bundle of twigs, propped up in the corner of the room, and the girls were playing on the floor with Barbie dolls on the floor. They had a cheap-looking car, and while there were at least a dozen Barbie dolls, there were about two Ken dolls. Gibbs sat down on the floor, watching them playing together.

Laura was distracted though, looking at her mood ring.

"What's up, Laura?" he asked her.

She looked up, eyes going wide. "Oh! My mood ring. It says I'm sad."

"How do ya know that?" he asked.

"It's black," she said, holding out a hand.

"Why are you sad, kiddo?" he asked, doing what Kate had done and smoothing a hand over her head.

"Because Auntie Kate is sad."

"She's not sad, sweetheart, it's just that she had to go run an errand. Ya don't really mind me babysittin' do ya?"

She shook her head.

Elle looked up. "You're Santa, right?"

"Yeah," he said, surprised. "I am. But ya knew that, Elle."

"I did." She turned to her sister. "Laur, we have _Santa_ babysitting us! Don't be sad!"

Laura smiled a little bit. "Okay," she agreed. She turned to him, and held out a Barbie. "Wanna play with us?"

He grinned. "I'd love to play with you. Who is this pretty lady?"

"That's Jack," Laura said.

"Laur, Jack is a boy's name!" Elle complained.

"Hold up," Gibbs said, taking the doll. "It doesn't hafta be a boy's name, Elle."

"Santa should have a boy doll," Elle told her sister.

"No, he shouldn't."

"Santa doesn't mind either way!" he tried again, and they listened. "What happened to your poor Ken anyway?" His attention had been drawn to one of the Ken dolls, whose head was apparently taped on.

"He had an accident," Elle told him seriously. "Henry ripped his head off. He _killed_ Oscar."

"His name is Oscar?" Gibbs asked, suppressing a smile.

"Yep!"

"But our tree is named Oscar!" Laura retorted, frowning.

Gibbs grinned, plucking Oscar up from the ground. "Poor Oscar."

"We can't have two Oscars, Ellie!" Laura complained.

"We can too!"

"Here, Santa, put Oscar in the car."

"Oh, is he goin' for a ride?"

"Yeah!" Laura said, forgetting her anger for a second. "He and Jack can go for a ride!"

"Okay," Gibbs said, setting down Oscar and Jack in the car together.

Elle gave the car a push, and sent it careening towards one of the beds. The three of them watched silently as the car crashed into the bed frame, and Laura gasped as Oscar's head popped off and rolled underneath the bed.

The three of them looked at each other, then at the decapitated doll, before they all started laughing together.

"We killed him!" Elle cried.

Gibbs shouldn't have been laughing as hard as he was, but the look of sheer horror on Laura's face, and Elle's giggling set him off. He lay back on the carpet, laughing until his sides ached.

He sat back up, wiping at his eyes. "How about we go find some tape and bring Oscar back to life again?"

"So we can kill him again?" Elle asked, eyes lit up.

"… Sure."

"We're not killing him again, Ellie!" Laura protested.

"All right," Gibbs said, scooping Oscar's head up from underneath the bed. "This is a crime scene and it's off limits!"

"It _is_?" Elle asked, looking sad.

"Yes, and besides," he said, checking the time. "It's time to eat anyway."

"Good," Laura stood up, still clutching a brunette Barbie. "Because I want food."

"I was thinking pancakes and bacon," Gibbs said.

"But Santa, that's breakfast food!" Elle said, frowning.

"Then we'll have breakfast for dinner. How does that sound?" he asked. By the looks on the girls' faces, they agreed wholeheartedly with that plan. They followed him into the kitchen, giggling to themselves as he set to finding the ingredients for pancakes.

"What are we supposed to call you?" Laura asked, sitting on one of the bar stools, leaning against the counter.

"What do ya mean?" he asked, turning in place from the fridge, still clutching the bacon.

"We can't call you Santa around Auntie Kate," Elle said, clearly in agreement with her sister.

"Why not?"

"Did you tell her?" Elle asked.

"No."

"Do you like her?" Laura asked.

"Doesn't matter. And you can call me… Uncle Gibbs."

"Okay."

 **XNCISX**

He was sitting cross-legged on the carpet while the girls played with their dolls again, setting up a card house.

Laura stopped what she was doing and turned to watch him, and he grinned, seeing her, trying to balance the card house, barely containing a curse word as it collapsed.

"What are you doing, Uncle Gibbs?" she asked.

He grinned to himself, before turning to her. "Buildin' card houses."

"Why?"

"It's fun."

"Oh." She paused for a second. "How do you do it?"

"Well, you can put two cards together like a triangle, see?" he said, demonstrating.

She nodded, enraptured.

"And then ya balance a card on top of it, and keep building… and if ya put two triangles together, you can balance a card between them."

"Can I try?" she asked.

"Sure. It's almost as fun as buildin' sandcastles."

"I've never built a sandcastle," she told him.

"Ya haven't? Well what about a snowcastle?"

She shook her head, sticking her tongue as she tried to concentrate on her building. "Oh no!" she cried as it crashed to the ground.

"Don't worry kiddo," he told her. "It takes a lotta practice to build them. I used to build them for my daughter. And she'd knock them over."

"Can I do that?" Elle asked, tossing the dolls aside, clearly tired of playing by herself.

"Knock 'em down? Sure."

"Santa doesn't have kids," Laura told him.

He sighed, and focused on his building, instead of saying anything else, but finally conceded to say something. "Not anymore."

Laura grabbed his hand, and he looked up. "What was her name?"

"Kelly," he told her, and smiled. "Her name was Kelly."

"Okay," she said, and then watched him in silence for a second, as he finished constructing the card house. The larger it got, the more she smiled, watching him. "Look," she said, and held out her hand.

He looked at the mood ring. "Green. What does that mean, Laura?"

"It means I'm happy," she told him.

"That's good. Elle, ya wanted to knock this down?" he offered.

"Yeah!" she cried and walked over, smacking the card house. It crashed to the ground, sending cards flying in all directions. She grinned, thrilled.

"Can I do it next?" Laura asked.

"Sure," he agreed, reassembling the card house, making it even bigger. And then he asked a question he was sure he'd regret. "So it's just the two of ya and your aunt, huh?"

"Yeah," Elle said, picking up a Barbie and changing her outfit, before looking at Gibbs. "Why?"

"Just wonderin'… how long have you been living with your aunt?"

Laura and Elle both shrugged, and he realized that they probably weren't as solid on the concept of time, so he changed the subject. "You haven't decorated yet."

"Auntie Kate said she was waiting," Elle reported.

"For what?"

"Dunno."

"And… there!" he said, moving away. "One card house ready for destruction!"

Laura smacked it half-heartedly, but it did the trick. It collapsed, instantly, prompting a smile from her.

 _"Jingle bells, Batman smells…."_ Elle was singing to herself as she played with dolls.

"Really, Elle?" he asked, amused. "Nice lyrics."

Elle giggled, but switched songs. " _Deck the halls with poison ivy …"_

Gibbs slapped a palm to his face, as Laura joined in. _"Tis the season to be itching… fa la la la la la la la la."_

 _"Throw the children out the window!"_ the two girls sang together, and Gibbs felt that it was an appropriate time to intervene.

"All right, my turn to pick a song," he said, cutting them off. "Nice lyrics by the way… those yours?"

"Yep," Elle said with a smile. "We made them up yesterday."

"They're charming. Maybe save them for Broadway though."

"What's Broadway?" Laura asked, surprised.

"It's where all the big musicals perform…" he said with a smile. "I've never been, but I've heard it's cool."

"Cool. What song are you picking, Uncle Gibbs?"

"You'll never guess," he said with a grin, and then cleared his throat. It had been a long time, and he'd never claim to be a good singing, but her could at least stay on-key. " _You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I'm tellin' you why…"_

The girls grinned at each other and joined in. _"Santa Claus is coming to town."_

 _"He's making a list…"_ Laura started.

 _"He's checking it twice,"_ Elle continued.

" _He's gonna find out who's naughty,"_ Gibbs said, poking Elle in the belly, and then poking Laura. _"Or nice."_

 _"Santa Claus is coming to town."_

They sang the rest of the song together, and once it had ended, the girls were both grinning at him. He smiled back, and started picking the cards up. "So, what do ya girls want to do next? Still a few hours 'til bedtime."

"How about a movie?" Elle suggested.

"Any movie?" he teased.

"A Christmas movie!" Laura chimed in, smiling.

"Which Christmas movie?"

"Rudolph," Elle suggested. "His nose is like my yoyo."

"No, we watched that last week!" Laura disagreed, frowning. "I wanna watch the _Charlie Brown_ Christmas! Oscar is in it!"

"Hey, hey," he said, getting in between them, as it looked like they were about to duke it out. "I have a better idea. How about we watch both?"

"We can do that?" Laura asked, confused.

"Yeah, 'course we can. We've got time."

"Can we have snacks while we're watching?" Elle asked.

Gibbs laughed, and nodded. "Sure. What kinda snacks?"

"Popcorn," Laura said.

"Cookies," Elle said at the same time.

"What about both?" Gibbs offered.

"Both is good," Elle said with a grin.

"Yeah," Laura agreed.

"Okay," he said. "Two snacks, two movies, two girls! We're all set!"

 **XNCISX**

She crept into the room quietly, closing the door behind her with a muted _click._ Except for a single lamp burning, the apartment was dark. She set down her purse on the hall table, and kicked off her boots, tossing her coat onto a chair, before stopping dead in her tracks.

Gibbs was sitting in the middle on the couch, dead to the world, a girl leaning on either shoulder, all three of them sound asleep. The DVD cases and crumbs on the table told a story all their own: the three of them must've settled in for a movie night and fallen asleep.

Though she felt as though she'd intruded on something personal, intimate even, she smiled to herself, pulling out her phone. She took a picture of Gibbs, a twin on either side of him in matching pajamas, before walking around the coffee table, careful to avoid the discarded Barbies, to place a hand on his shoulder.

He was clearly a light sleeper, for he was awake in an instant. "Wh-," he started, before noticing it was her. She held a finger to her lips, and he nodded. "What time is it?" he asked, rubbing a hand over his face, groggy with sleep.

"Just after midnight," she replied. "Can you help me get the girls to their room?"

He nodded, standing up, before looking her over. She knew she looked a lot more put together than she felt, but simply pulled Elle into her arms, grunting.

Gibbs picked up Laura effortlessly, and carried her into the bedroom, where a nightlight burned.

Kate followed with Elle, and the two of them tucked the twins into bed. Laura's eyes fluttered open briefly, and she saw Kate. "Auntie Kate?" she asked, sleepily.

"Shh, sweetie, go to sleep. Everything's okay."

"I love you," she mumbled.

"I love you too," Kate said, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her forehead. Gibbs was waiting in the doorway, and she walked out, careful to close the door.

He was staring at her, noticing for the first time the dark circles under her eyes. "You must be dead on your feet," he said.

She shook her head. "I'll be fine. Thank you again, you're a lifesaver. And you're so good with the twins."

"Just bein' a good friend," he said, smiling down at her, and tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. "And kids are easy…. 'M not so good with adults."

"You seem to manage being around me just fine," she teased, and then walked into the kitchen, flipping on the light. "I'm making some hot chocolate, want some?"

"I'd prefer somethin' stronger," he said.

She laughed to herself, shaking her head. "I usually do too after spending a night with the twins."

He leaned against the counter, content to watch her. "So," he started. "A family emergency?"

"Something like that. Stay for a drink, and I'll tell you all about it."

"Well, how can I refuse an offer like that?"

 **XNCISX**

He'd intended to just sneak up to his room, that had been his plan on his way back to Ducky's place. But walking through the door at six in the morning, he'd realized it was futile as soon as he'd closed the door; Ducky was already awake.

"Jethro!" He was standing in the door to the dining room, a cup of tea in hand, looking surprised, and there was a hint of a smile on his face. "Were you out all night?"

"Yeah," he said, rubbing a hand over his face. "What're you doing up?"

"Jethro, I'm going into work. But let me fetch you some breakfast first-,"

"That'd be great, thanks, Duck."

"You must be exhausted," Ducky said, ushering him into the dining room. Gibbs didn't bother to remove his jacket or his shoes, collapsing into a chair at the dining table, wanting nothing more than to go upstairs and flop into bed. "Did you get any sleep at all?"

"A couple 'a hours," Gibbs said, feeling slightly more human as he took the cup of coffee in front of him.

"Was everything all right with Caitlin?"

"Yeah, just a family emergency with her brother."

"Which brother?" Ducky asked.

"Does it matter?" Gibbs asked. "Hey, speakin' of… how do ya know her?"

"How do I know Caitlin, you mean?"

"Yeah."

"I'm a patron of her family's shop... I was very close with her grandfather, the shop's owner. I'm Caitlin's godfather in fact… why?"

"Because, Duck… I think it's her."


	5. Chapter 5

She opened the door, smiling when she saw who it was. "Gibbs, you came!"

He stepped inside, unwinding his scarf from around his neck. "Was there ever any doubt, Katie?"

She smirked, and took his coat from him, hanging it up, before he followed her into further into the apartment. "Well… I actually thought you'd never want to see me again after what I put you through."

"Whaddaya mean by _that_?" he asked, leaning against the counter with a grin.

"Most people would be scared away by having to babysit twin five-year-old girls, that's all," she said. "Do you want a drink?"

"I'd love a drink. And nah, I love kids."

"I mean I'm sure you do… the twins can't stop talking about you. Which is why I wanted to invite you over, to thank you… and because the twins threatened to stop talking to me if I didn't."

Gibbs laughed. "Is that right?"

She nodded, and grinned. "By the way, if you're looking for the twins, they're in their room playing Barbie ghost stories."

"What's…?" he started, and in answer, she walked around the counter, grabbing his hand, and tugging him towards the girls' room. She opened the door, only to reveal the twins sitting on the carpet, playing with their Barbie dolls and a vintage-looking, hideously orange camper.

"Hey girls!" he said.

They both turned around, dropping their dolls. Laura even stood up, rushing over and hugging Gibbs's legs. He grinned to himself, hugging her back. She looked up at him. "We thought you'd never come back!" she cried.

He laughed. "Well with this company, how could I not?"

She grinned, and sat back down. Elle was sitting still, moving poor Oscar (whose head had not been taped back on since the other night) and making noises like a demented cat.

"Girls," Kate said. "Mr. Gibbs and I are going to be getting decorations out, so you might want to stay in here if you don't want to get covered in dust."

Laura's eyes went wide. "We're decorating tonight?"

"We are, and we're roping poor Mr. Gibbs into it," she said, grinning at him. He nodded back, and grinned.

"Sure thing, Katie. And by the way," he said as they left the girls' room. "Ya can just call me _Gibbs,_ ya don't hafta call me _Mr. Gibbs_."

"I'm just setting a good example for the girls," she responded.

"Well too late. They're already callin' me _Uncle Gibbs_ ," he said with a grin.

She blinked, turning to stare at him for a second, a strange expression on her face, but after a moment she nodded. "Isn't the camper ugly?" she said, conversationally.

"Definitely," he agreed. "I hate orange."

"I know, like who in their right mind would paint _anything_ that shade of orange?" she complained, before sliding a glass across the counter. "I kinda had you pegged as a bourbon man."

"You'd be right. Gold star, Katie."

"Gut instinct," she said, waving a hand dismissively.

"So," he started conversationally. "Barbie ghost stories?"

She rolled her eyes, but smiled. "My aunt bought that camper for me – and I loved it even though it's hideous – and it came with equally ugly plastic sleeping bags and a fake fire pit, and she kept it at her place so I'd have something to play with when I visited her. And I had friends come with me a couple of times… so my friends and I decided that we would have the Barbies tell ghost stories and then actually... be haunted."

"Ya don't strike me as the type to believe in ghosts," he replied.

She smirked. "Well just because I've never _seen_ a dead person…"

"Ya don't see dead people?" he teased.

"Nice reference. Gold star," she said, mimicking him. "And there are a lot of things I believe in…"

He grinned down at her, feeling oddly hopeful. "Is that right?"

"Anyway… I had the camper here with me, and decided to introduce the concept to them, and they love it. Every night when I get back from work, they _beg_ me to play with them… I'm beginning to run out of ghost stories."

He grinned. "Maybe I can donate a story or two."

"That would be nice, but first I need you to donate some muscle." At the look of confusion on his face, she grinned. "Oh… guess I forgot to tell you… you're _earning_ your dinner tonight."

"I'm startin' to think it's not my friendship you want… just a butler."

"Something like that," she agreed, before heading over and throwing open a closet door, turning on a light. "Now are you gonna help me or not?"

"I could never turn down a lady," he said with a grin, walking over.

"Can you grab that box for me?" she asked, and he walked into the closet, not realizing until he was practically face to face with Kate, exactly how small said closet was. She was pointing up at one of the taller shelves.

"I'm supposed to reach that?" he asked, looking down at her.

She seemed to realize at the same time how close they were to each other, and took a step back, bumping into a shelf. The shelf wobbled, and Gibbs could have sworn his life flashed before his eyes as a box came crashing down.

He barely managed to knock Kate out of the way, and catch the box before it hit the ground. He turned to ask her if she was okay, but before he had a chance, she sneezed. In the dim light of the closet she looked a little stunned, but then grinned. "Whoa. Okay-," she stopped, sneezing again.

"You okay?" he asked her.

She nodded, and managed a smile. "Fine. You?"

"Fine."

"And you know what, Gibbs?"

"What?"

"That's just the box I wanted."

"When was the last time ya dusted in here?" he asked, stepping out of the closet, almost missing the close proximity of the closet. And once again he felt like a fraud, a con artist. This wasn't a game, however much he treated it like one.

It was a fragile card house, and the slightest puff of truth could send the whole thing crashing to the ground.

"I'm sorry if I don't routinely dust my closets," she retorted, grabbing the box from him.

"Do ya have a problem with closets or somethin'?" he asked.

"That, sir, is none of your business," she said, setting down the box by the coffee table.

He grinned, eyebrows raised. "Did ya just _sir_ me, Katie?"

She turned red as she turned back to him. "No."

"No?"

"No," she said, more firmly.

"Cause I think ya did."

"Well, you know, you're old, your hearing is probably going," she said, walking past him. "Now c'mon, we have more boxes to move."

"Sure thing, Cap'n."

He saw her roll her eyes as he helped her carry out boxes. For the first few trips with boxes, they were alone, but by about the fourth trip, the girls had come out to watch, staring at the growing stack of boxes.

"I'm hungry," Elle announced.

"Yeah," Kate said. "What else is new?" She turned to Gibbs. "Takeout?"

"Sound good to me."

 **XNCISX**

"The takeout should be here in half an hour," Kate said, hanging up the phone. "Gibbs, those are not for you!" He froze in place, and she almost had to laugh at the look on his face. "Those gumdrops are for the gingerbread house."

"I'm hungry," he mumbled through a mouthful of gumdrops.

"So are the girls, but you don't see _them_ eating- oh for heaven's sake!" Kate said. She'd been pointing to the twins, trying to use them as an example, but had in fact caught them stuffing their faces with candy too. She threw up her hands, frustrated. "I'm surrounded by children!"

"Uncle Gibbs isn't a kid!" Elle pointed out, grinning though her mouth was stained green by the icing.

"Elle, sweetie," Kate said, with a sigh. "He might as well be."

"I'm gonna not be insulted by that," Gibbs said with a grin. "Elle, that roof is crooked."

"It is not! Oh." Elle tilted her head and shot Gibbs a guilty look.

He grinned. "Need help?"

She nodded. "Yes please."

"Laura!" Kate said, and Laura looked up from eating the tiny silver decorations for the gingerbread house. "Please take off your ring, honey, I don't want it to get sticky."

"But then how can I tell if I'm happy or not?" Laura asked in response.

Gibbs poked her in the side as he passed to help Elle, and she giggled. "There, kid, you're happy. No mood ring required. Now c'mon, help me and your sister straighten this out."

"Didn't know you were good at gingerbread construction," Kate said to him, leaning against the counter.

"I'm full of surprises, don't ya know, Katie," he said with a smirk. "And I like construction… wood… gingerbread."

"Right."

"Katie, we need a second opinion, wanna get over here?" he asked.

She walked around the counter, to examine the gingerbread house. "There aren't any decorations on the left side," she started, but stopped as Gibbs abruptly dipped a thumb in the red icing the girls were using to stick decorations to the walls, and dabbed it on the end of her nose. "Gibbs!" she protested.

He grinned, looking at her. "Ya look like Rudolph, Katie. Doesn't she, girls?"

"Yeah!" Laura said, clapping her hands.

"Fine," Kate sighed, and leaned in, "I'll get you for this, Gibbs."

"I'm scared. Really," he deadpanned.

"You should be," she informed him, before smearing the green icing across his face. "There… Mr. Grinch."

The girls were giggling, looking between Gibbs and Kate.

"Touché, Katie-girl," he told her.

"All's fair in love and war," she replied breezily, before passing him a dishcloth. He wiped off his face, and she did the same.

"Aw, now you don't match!" Elle complained.

"Go back to the gingerbread, kiddo," Gibbs said, ruffling her hair. "The roof needs more gumdrops."

"Is it straight now?" Elle asked.

"Yeah, you're all good." He turned to stare at Kate, who was sitting on the couch, staring into one of the boxes, and walked over, sitting down beside her. "All good over here, Katie?"

She looked up, startled, and smiled at him. "Yeah, I was just going through the Christmas decorations to get ready to set them up, and… I found this." She lifted out a ceramic Christmas tree, in pieces, setting them on the coffee table.

"Wow," he said softly, and in response to her look of surprise, he grinned. "Haven't seen one of these in years."

"It was my grandmother's," she replied, looking it over. "My siblings and I used to decorate for my grandparents every year, and this was the one thing we were _never_ allowed to touch… they were worried we'd break it. But I inherited it, and honestly I get a bit of guilty pleasure from always putting it up."

"Since ya can touch it now?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "The year after my grandmother died, I was over, putting up the Christmas decorations for my grandfather, and I found this," she gestured to the tree. "And I was sitting there, struggling to put it together – there are no instructions – and I looked up and said _would it have killed you to put instructions in here?_ I felt terrible afterwards, but…" She shrugged. "I can laugh about it now."

"Need help puttin' it together?" he asked.

"No, it's okay."

"Ya know, my parents… the first year they were married, one of my cousins made them an ornament out of tinfoil, and it was shaped to look like a candle… it was one of their prized possessions and it was always the first ornament they hung up, over the mirror by the front door," he said with a smile, watching her put together the ceramic tree. "I can see it when I close my eyes… It was special to them because my cousin died the same year he made it, and this was before they had me, so…"

She smiled. "I never took you for the sentimental type."

"Fair enough," he said with a shrug. "Usually 'm not."

"Auntie Kate!" Laura called. "I need help with decorating!"

"Coming!"

 **XNCISX**

"Katie, are ya sure you know what you're doin'?" he asked, staring at her, concerned.

She looked down at him from atop the ladder, and rolled her eyes. "Don't you trust me, Gibbs?"

"Yes, but that's not my point," he replied patiently.

He watched her hang up an ornament, before she turned to him. "Can you pass me another ornament?" she asked.

"Sure." He did as she asked, before saying casually, "Ya sure have a lotta Noah's Ark ornaments."

"Oh, yeah, I collect them."

"Ya do?"

"When I was born, the theme in my nursery was Noah's Ark… favorite Bible story."

"Never took ya for the religious type," he said, passing her another ornament.

"Fair enough," she said, mimicking him again. "I'm too slow for this!"

"Thought we were almost done?" he asked in response with an eye roll.

"We _are_ almost done. After almost strangling myself with Christmas lights… we're almost done."

"I have one more question," he said, climbing the other side of the ladder so that they were staring into each other's eyes. If he'd felt so inclined, he would have been able to count every single one of the freckles on Kate's face, but instead she turned a faint shade of pink, as they looked at each other.

"What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, and maybe he didn't love her, maybe he just liked her, but shouldn't that have been enough?

He held up one of the tattered red bows. "What are these?"

"They're decorations from my parent's wedding," she told him. "We used to decorate the tree with them at home every year."

"But ya don't anymore?" he asked, fixing one of the bows to the tree. He inhaled for a second, loving the smell of evergreen needles.

"Not since my dad died," she said softly.

He looked up in surprise. "I'm sorry," he said reflexively, stepping down from the ladder.

"It's okay," she said, distracted, reaching to place the star on top of the tree. "Dammit…"

"Katie, be careful-," he started, and then it happened. As she reached, holding the tree topper in hand, she lost her balance and he managed to dive forward, catching her in his arms in a bridal carry, the topper cradled in her lap, and they were staring at each other breathlessly for a second, brown eyes into blue.

"Nice catch," she said, as he set her down. She managed to place the star without further incident.

"I… should probably go. Gettin' late."

"Thank you for coming. Probably not what you had in mind, but…"

"Don't worry, Katie, I had a great time."

She handed him his coat, walking him to the door. "Well… good night."

"Good night, Katie."


	6. Chapter 6

If anyone asked, he was simply walking by. That was what Gibbs kept telling himself, the closer he got to the store. He was just stopping in to say hi, he'd been in the neighborhood… even in his head, the excuse sounded flimsy.

And how would he explain the extra coffee?

He hunched his shoulders against the chilly wind. He knew he didn't have time for games, but why couldn't just _ask_ her? "Man up, marine," he muttered to himself, arriving at his destination. Staring up at the brilliant façade, the letters spelling out _Todd's Toy Chest,_ the whole storefront glittering with Christmas lights, casting an otherworldly glow in the dim of late afternoon, and he remembered, staring up at the bold letters, lit up against the coming night, the first time he'd stopped by the store.

He'd used his magic to kickstart what was already supposed to happen. It wasn't as if he'd trusted the weatherman, but anyone could see that it was supposed to snow that day… he'd just sped things up a little. And why?

 _"The first snow of the season is always my favorite,"_ she'd said. And here he was, using magic he didn't have, wasting time he didn't have, to win over a woman he wasn't sure he loved, just so he could be someone that people usually didn't believe existed.

 _Just grit your teeth and do it,_ he thought, before pushing the door opening with his free hand, the bell chiming above the door to announce his presence. It was then that he realized that except for the staff, the store was completely empty.

Kate, who had turned to see who their customer was, lit up when she saw him… or so he thought. "Gibbs!" she called, rushing over. "What are you doing here?"

"Was in the neighborhood," he replied.

"Okay," she said, smiling. He could tell she didn't believe him.

"I uh… brought you a coffee," he said with a smile, "And wanted to invite ya to dinner… but I can see you're busy," he said, seeing that the employees, whose names he vaguely remembered, were all watching the exchange between him and Kate.

"Thank you. So you were in the neighborhood and just suddenly felt the urge to ask me to dinner? And you just happened to have an extra coffee?" she asked, teasing.

"Well, when ya put it like that…"

"Quite the coincidence," she said with a grin.

"It would be, but I don't believe in 'em. Coincidences," he elaborated, seeing her look of confusion. "Look, do ya want the coffee or not?"

"I would love the coffee. It's been madness here," she said, taking the coffee from him and taking a swig of it. She winced as she swallowed.

"Somethin' wrong?" he asked.

"Strong," she said.

"Strong is better," he replied, and they shared a quick smile.

"Well, boss, aren't you gonna introduce us?" came a call, and Kate fumbled with the coffee, apparently forgetting that they had an audience.

"I should go, I can see that you're busy," he started, but she shook her head.

"If you want to stay… we're going to order a pizza in a bit."

"Lemme guess," he said, looking over to where her employees were. "I gotta earn that pizza."

"Damn right," Kate said with a smirk.

"Sign me up," he said, following her into the store, setting down his coffee cup on the checkout counter, before shrugging off his coat.

Kate took his coat, before looking at her employees, who all looked confused at the intrusion. "Everyone, this is Leroy Jethro Gibbs, he's going to be helping us tonight."

"I remember you," said one of the men, leaning against the counter. "You came here with Dr. Mallard."

"Ya remember that?" Gibbs asked, looking at him in surprise. He remembered this kid, for sure- he'd had his face practically glued to his phone, so the fact that he remembered anything recently was a surprise.

"Yeah," he said with a smile. "Timothy McGee," he said, holding out a hand in introduction.

Gibbs shook it. "You can call me Gibbs."

"Gibbs, this is Ellie Bishop," Kate said, drawing his attention away from McGee for a second, and to a friendly-looking blonde with a smile on her face. "And Nick Torres, our security guard who I had to blackmail into helping tonight."

Torres smirk, "Way to flatter a guy, Todd."

"I try, Torres," she replied.

Gibbs was distracted by the sight of the twins, who had just run out of the back room behind the counter. "Uncle Tim! Uncle Tim!" Elle was saying, tugging at Tim's sleeve.

Gibbs felt a flare of something hot in his chest, and frowned, unsure of what it was, as Tim lifted up Elle to sit on the counter, and grinned at her. "What is it, Elle?"

"We found the Barbie you wanted!" she said.

"Really?"

"It's supposed to be upstairs!"

"What do you want with a Barbie, man? I didn't peg you for that kinda guy," Torres teased, and Gibbs realized with a sigh that he was _jealous_ of Tim. But why? He had the adoration of kids everywhere, so why should he suddenly feel proprietary over two little girls?

"It isn't _for_ me," Tim replied, with an eyeroll. "I just saw the _perfect_ Barbie-,"

"For who then?" Nick asked. "Isn't your sister a little old for dolls?"

"You're never too old for dolls, Nick!" Elle reprimanded, turning to glare at Nick. He looked a little concerned, but Gibbs grinned, feeling relieved. At least she wasn't calling him an uncle too. And then Gibbs shook his head at his own idiocy.

 _You're not here to adopt kids, gunny._

"Elle," Tim said, regaining her attention. "Want to go find that Barbie for me?"

"Sure! Can I bring Laura?"

"Go ahead," Tim said, ruffling her hair, as Elle jumped down from the counter and ran off, presumably to find her sister in the maze and then go on Tim's quest.

Tim leaned against the counter, shaking his head. "Don't know how you do it, Kate."

"Do what?" Kate asked, looking up from her coffee, which she'd been nursing silently, listening to the conversations playing out in the shop.

"Look after the two of them and not go crazy," Tim said with a wry grin, staring after the twins. "I don't think I could ever have twins… I wouldn't be able to keep up with them."

"Yeah, and picture them as babies," Nick said, wrinkling his nose. "Double the diapers."

"Well," Kate interjected. "It wasn't like I planned on them."

"Last I checked, most people don't plan twins," Ellie said with a laugh. "They kind of just happen."

"Enough to turn you off having kids entirely," Nick said, shaking his head in disgust.

"I don't think so," Tim said thoughtfully, staring in the direction the kids had run.

"You want kids, Timmy?" Nick asked.

Tim blushed, caught. "I've thought about it."

"Well ya know, Tim," Gibbs said, because Nick looked as though he was about to give another sarcastic response. "They're worth it."

Tim nodded, smiling. "Speaking from experience there, Gibbs?"

"Maybe. But trust me on that." He turned back to Kate, and the moment was gone, but she had a quizzical look on her face, one that made him realize he'd given a little too much away, shown his hand too soon. "So tell me, Katie, what exactly am I doin' to earn my dinner?"

Ignoring the look on Nick's face as he mouthed the word _Katie,_ and the smile Ellie was trying to conceal, he tried to pay attention as Kate explained. "All through November, we were collecting toys and canned goods, so that we can give them to families that wouldn't otherwise have a Christmas," she explained.

"Charity work?" he asked.

"Yes, it's a tradition my grandfather started when he started the store," she said. "We do this for fifty families in the DC area, and every family is getting toys for the kids, and canned goods, and we also make sure every family gets fresh vegetables and a turkey."

"Huh," he said, nodding. "Very charitable of ya, Katie. Should be proud."

"Well, I'm not doing it for good karma points or anything, but it is nice to be able to help," she said with a smile.

"But where do ya get the money for fifty turkeys?" he asked.

"Drug running," she told him, as he took a sip of his coffee, and he choked. She giggled, watching him, as he turned to glare at her.

"Very funny, Katie. Do you have-," He was stopped as she held up a napkin, before she walked away, whistling innocently. "Okay, so what are _we_ doin'?"

"Putting together the packages," she told him. "We have lists of what every family requested, and what the kids for every family are interested in, so now we just need to wrap and tag the gifts, and divide up the canned goods."

"All right… let's get started."

 **XNCISX**

 _"Deck the halls with poison ivy,"_ he was singing under his breath, and hoping that no one else was listening to him being ridiculous as he wrapped a present, before cursing as the wrapping burst open again.

"You've been spending too much time with the twins, clearly," Kate said, appearing at his elbow.

"What makes ya say that?" he asked, trying to wrap the present again, with no luck.

"Here, let me help," she said. "It'll be easier if I hold it down while you put on the tape. And you're singing the twins' lyrics to _Deck the Halls._ "

"True, and… thanks." He let her hold down the edges of the paper, while he taped them down. "Not bad."

"We make a good team," she said with a smile, biting her lip.

"Uh huh." And then he groaned in disgust as the radio switched from _Deck the Halls_ to _I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas_. "I hate this song."

"I don't know anyone who likes it," Kate agreed.

"I like it!" Elle called from the counter, where she and Laura were trying to wrap a present, but were really too busy sticking tape on each other.

Tim was sitting on the counter, a clipboard in one hand and his phone in the other.

"Your boy is slackin' there, Katie," he said, nodding in Tim's direction.

She looked over her shoulder, an oddly sad look passing over her face, before turning back to him. "He's checking the list of families and gifts to make sure we get it all done properly."

"Is he checkin' it twice?"

"Tim would make a great Santa Claus," Kate told him, rolling her eyes.

"Tim!" His head snapped up, as Ellie stared at him. "Can you come help me out here?"

"What do you need?" he asked, before shooting a desperate glance down at his phone. "Ah! No, no, no!"

"What's wrong?" Kate asked, turning to him, and Tim blushed again when he realized that everyone was watching him.

"The website crashed again," he said, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

Kate and Ellie both made sounds of sympathy, and even Nick managed to clap Tim on the shoulder as he walked past. "Don't worry Timmy… I've never met your girl, but I'm sure it'll all work out."

"Thanks Nick," Tim said, with surprise on his face. A glance at Kate and Ellie revealed that they were surprised too. Clearly Nick was not a _love and support_ kind of guy, and by the look on Ellie's face in particular, she was enjoying this sudden change of character.

"Here, Tim, how about for a distraction, you help me?" she asked, and he smiled hesitantly, sticking his phone in his pocket. "By the way," Ellie said, when he stepped up to the table next to her. "You totally picked up that bad habit from me."

"Sitting on the counter? Yep. Guilty as charged," Tim said, a real smile on his face.

Gibbs was surprised to see the look of fondness on Kate's face as she watched Ellie and Tim wrapping a gift together, and he wondered… but then she turned back to him with a grin. "It's like having siblings," she told him with a roll of her eyes.

"Here, you missed a corner," Tim said to Ellie.

"Thanks." Ellie looked at Tim, and then grinned, picking up the bow for the gift from where it sat on the table, pulled the protection off the back and then stuck it to his forehead. "There. You look really festive now!"

Tim grinned. "You think so?"

"I think it's an improvement!" Nick called.

"Don't be such a Grinch, Nick," Elle said, but she was smiling, as she looked at Tim.

"Take a picture of me," he said with a grin.

"Okay!" She pulled out her phone, and took a picture of Tim, grinning with a bow stuck to his forehead. And then she leaned in, kissing him on the cheek as she took another picture.

"Oh gross!" Nick called, as she pulled away, grinning at Tim. "Fraternization in the workplace!"

"You're just jealous I'm not kissing _you_!" she teased in return.

"Ha! Jealous? Of McGee? That'll be the day!" Nick joked, walking over, but clearly Ellie's words had struck a chord. As he walked past, Ellie was lifting up a container of glitter to spread over the package she and Tim had just finished wrapping, but she accidentally inhaled some of it and sneezed.

Tim was lucky enough to duck, but Nick blinked, and spit out a few bits of golden glitter.

He was covered in it.

Ellie's mouth dropped open and she was clearly trying to stop herself from laughing. "Oh… my god… Nick… sorry…" And then she couldn't help it. She cracked up, setting the glitter down, before trying to wipe some of it off of his black shirt.

Tim was laughing too, and Kate snickered to herself beside Gibbs. He turned and looked at her, instead of at Nick, and found that while she was always beautiful, when she laughed, she was… radiant.

"It's okay, Bish. Stop, stop! I look fabulous!" Nick said, striking a pose.

Ellie took a picture of him on her phone. "Oh definitely," she agreed.

"Might need to wash this though," he said, grimacing down at his glitter-covered shirt. "Should take it off-,"

"Don't do that!" Tim said.

"Oh right… now who's jealous, Timmy?" Nick teased. Barely managing to avoid the gifts precariously stacked there, Nick leapt onto the table, and started dancing to the Christmas music currently playing.

"He's crazy…" Gibbs said, shaking his head as Kate kept laughing.

"Maybe," she agreed, wiping her eyes, before calling out. "Hey, Torres, if you're done table dancing, there are still gifts to wrap!"

"Killjoy," Nick muttered to Ellie, getting down.

"Oh hush, you look like a bath bomb."

"But a very sexy bath bomb!"

"Oh please," Ellie said, laughing.

"You don't agree?" he asked.

"Ahem," Kate said. "We've got plenty of work to do."

 **XNCISX**

Nick was lying on the table, as Kate swept up around the table legs. "I can tell everywhere you've been, Nick!" she complained. "You shed glitter everywhere!"

"It's all Bishop's fault," he said complacently, looking over to where Ellie was sitting on the counter, on her fifth slice of pizza.

"How do you eat so much, Auntie Ellie?" Elle asked, sitting beside her.

"I work hard, so I'm always hungry," Ellie replied, smiling at the young girl beside her.

"It's stress-eating!" Nick called.

"It is not!" she retorted.

Kate set the broom down, and grabbed one of the pizza boxes. Tim, who was sitting on the table next to where Nick was lying, was back on his phone, groaning in frustration.

Kate put a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up. "Look, Tim, don't stress yourself out too much, okay? If it's meant to happen, it'll happen."

He nodded, managing a smile. "Thanks Kate."

"Don't mention it," she said, before walking over to where Gibbs was sitting on the staircase, leaning against the balustrade, eyes closed. "Look lonely over here, Gibbs," she said, settling on the step below the one where he was sitting, and looking up at him with a smile.

"Nah," he said, sitting up as he opened his eyes and saw her. "Is that for me?"

"Well, I was in the neighborhood…" she started.

He laughed, and opened the box. "Nothin' says _thank you_ like a greasy cheese pizza."

"Definitely," she agreed, before taking a bite out of her own slice. "Oooh, this makes it all worth it."

"That's good work, Kate," he told her.

She looked up, surprised. "What?" she asked through a mouthful of pizza.

"I meant with the whole charitable donations thing," he continued. "I never woulda thought of that."

"Don't give me all the credit," she warned. "I'm just following tradition."

"Well ya get some credit, Katie. Not everyone keeps tradition."

"I'm big on tradition," she told him with a smile.

"Quite the team ya got here," he said, and she looked over her shoulder to where her employees were debating over the best Christmas movies.

"Yeah, they're pretty great. And they get along which is a good thing," she told him.

"I'm surprised ya keep McGee though," he said, and clearly that surprised her.

"What do you mean?"

"Every time I've been here, he's been attached to his phone… doesn't seem to get much done. I'd probably have fired him a long time ago," he said conversationally, and saw a spark of anger flash across her face. She was clearly fond of Tim.

"I could never fire him, he was the first employee I hired," she said, shooting a look over her shoulder. "And he's not just another idiot born with a smartphone in hand, you know." The undercurrent of anger in her voice was obvious.

He held up his hands in surrender. "Okay then, Katie, set me straight."

"His girlfriend," Kate started. "She lives… in Dubai."

"Dubai?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes, Dubai. And the reason Tim is attached to his phone is because he's trying to get a flight there so that they can spend Christmas together."

"Oh," Gibbs said, feeling mildly ashamed. "Right."

"Yeah," she said, and then smiled. "He's been losing sleep over it for weeks, and I know that it means a lot to him." She shook her head. "I'm almost jealous."

"Because he can't get a flight?" Gibbs asked, deliberately misunderstanding.

"No, because I'd love to have someone that dedicated… who would do almost anything, short of hijacking a plane, to be the woman he loves for Christmas." She shrugged.

"Ah," he said teasingly, trying to lighten the mood. "You're a romantic."

"Maybe," she said, finally meeting his gaze. "Hasn't done me much good though, has it?"

"I wouldn't know," he replied, and they were both silent for a second, staring at each other. "Katie," he started.

"Have you ever been married?"

"Yeah. More than once."

Her eyes went wide at that, and then she gave him a look. "Are you married right now?"

He shook his head. "Nope. I'm an old bachelor. Me an' Ducky, bachelors both."

"Well so he's probably Colonel Pickering and you're Henry Higgins, so who's your Eliza?" she asked, teasingly.

He snorted. "Funny."

"I try."

"'M not very good at the whole marriage thing," he said.

She raised her eyebrows, watching him, and tilted her head to the side, as though she was trying to read him. "This is going to sound silly…"

"If ya have a question, I'll answer it, Katie. Can't promise much, but I promise ya honesty."

She nodded, clearly embarrassed, her cheeks pink. "Have you ever been in love?" she asked. It was certainly a strange question, but considering that the atmosphere in the store was one of tired satisfaction, and they were sitting on a staircase with a pizza, and he had just promised her honesty, he would answer it.

"Yeah," he said. "I have been. Once or twice."

She nodded, and then smiled at him. "I haven't," she said. "Not yet."

He grinned. "Well don't be callin' yourself an old maid just yet. You have time."

"Sure I do," she agreed, shaking her head. "I have the twins, and the store, and that's about my life."

"Don't sound too bad to me," he said casually.

"It's not, really, and I love it, it's just… sometimes I want something… _more,_ " she started hesitantly.

"Something more?" he questioned.

"Yes. There has to be more to life than just... this," she gestured to the shop. She shook her head, grinning. "Listen to me, I sound like I have a terrible life."

"Well if the rest of it is anything like tonight…" he trailed off.

"That reminds me… what a nice coincidence it was that I needed an extra pair of hands and you just happened to be in the neighborhood."

He grinned, about to reply.

"Kate!"

"Duty calls," she said, leaving him on the staircase, alone and confused.


	7. Chapter 7

"You've got me carryin' so many trays around, Duck, I feel like a waiter," Gibbs complained, carrying yet another tray of finger foods into the library.

Ducky turned and smiled at him. "I said you could stay here, Jethro, I did not say I would let you stay here for free."

"Fair enough," he said, setting down a tray, before walking over and straightening Ducky's bow tie for him. "There."

"Jethro, you do know that you are invited to join us tonight?" Ducky asked with a smile, and Gibbs frowned.

"Thought this party was for the toy store employees, Duck. I work with toys, but not… like that."

Ducky laughed. "Yes, I thought much the same, but Caitlin called me this afternoon when she was planning on what time to come, and she explained that she was so thankful for your help the other day that I'd be wise to invite you to tonight."

"Wait, Duck," he said, as Ducky left the library, and he followed him into the kitchen. "Are ya sayin' that Katie wanted me to come?"

Ducky turned to him, eyebrows raised. "Yes, Jethro, I am saying that. Is it so shocking?"

"Yes!" he replied, surprised.

"You know, Jethro," Ducky said. "I've been thinking."

"That's dangerous," Gibbs said, and though he rolled his eyes, Ducky ignored him and continued.

"I've been thinking… you have magical abilities, do you not?"

"Yeah, Duck, I do… why?" he asked.

"Why could you not just use your magic to find yourself a wife?" he asked. "Instead of going to all this trouble… your time is running out!"

Gibbs laughed, a bitter chuckle that make Ducky pause, and then he grinned. "If only it was that easy, huh? Because, Duck, it's impossible, and strictly forbidden for anyone, never mind me, to mess with affairs of the heart. No meddlin' allowed."

"Oh," Ducky said thoughtfully. And then he asked. "And you have set your sights on Caitlin?"

He frowned, reminded again that this whole elaborate charade had a purpose, and one he was not especially proud of. "Somethin' like that," he said after an awkward pause.

"You are really planning to pin all of your hopes on her?"

"I dunno if it's love, Duck, but there's somethin' there, I'm tellin' ya."

Ducky shook his head, distracted. "Well, it's your neck at stake if you're wrong, so… Does she know?"

"Nope. And for now I'm keepin' it that way," he said, ducking back out of the kitchen.

"Jethro, you do not have time for games!" Ducky reminded him as he was halfway up the stairs. "And where are you going?"

"Thought I was invited to a party?" Gibbs said with a grin, turning to look at him. "Can't go dressed like this."

Ducky shook his head, murmuring to himself under his breath about Gibbs, with a few Gaelic insults thrown in for good measure. Gibbs took the rest of the stairs two at a time, grinning.

He had a party to go to.

 **XNCISX**

He had just finished straightening his tie when he heard the doorbell ring downstairs, the sound echoing through the house, and sighed. He took one last look in the mirror and straightened his jacket, before giving himself a lopsided grin. "Not too shabby, Marine," he muttered to himself, before opening the door, and walking towards the staircase, wanting to see who had arrived.

When he reached the top of the staircase, he stopped dead in his tracks, staring down into the foyer, where she waited.

Maybe he had been biased the first time, when he'd seen her at the tree farm, because she was the first woman he'd really looked at who wasn't an elf. But looking at her now… he felt as though his heart had stopped. She seemed to get the sense that someone was watching her, because she turned to stare at him, and he felt a grin spreading across his face at the sight of her.

She was dressed in a black dress, her hair loose around her face, and her earrings glittered in the light from the chandelier. "Gibbs!" she called, and he realized with a jolt that she was surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"

"Ya didn't know I was coming?" he asked, walking down the stairs to meet her.

She grinned up at him. "No, I had no idea! But what a nice surprise!" She was grinning.

"Here," he said, holding out a hand. "I'll take your coat."

"Don't worry. I can look after myself. Earned my jockstrap," she said with a wink.

He grinned. "And does it ever give ya that empty feeling?"

"What?"

"Your jockstrap," he said conversationally, hanging up her jacket.

"No. Like some species of frogs, I grow what I need."

He chuckled to himself as he turned back to her, and offering his arm. "May I escort you to the library?"

"You may," she said, linking arms with him, but giggling. "Never knew you had a chivalrous side."

"I'm a man of many sides. 'M a puzzle. I'm a Rubix cube with pants," he retorted, and she giggled as they made their way into the library.

"Ooh," she said, looking at the Christmas tree. "Very festive."

"Yeah," he said with a grin. "I seem to really shine this time of year."

She laughed. "I was talking about the tree." And then she turned to him, but then shook her head. "Honestly, I just wish it would all be over."

"Whaddaya mean?" he asked, sitting on the edge of a chair, watching her as she looked at the Christmas tree.

"It's just this time of year…. The malls are always crowded, people are maxing out their credit cards… it's crazy."

"When did you become such a cynic?" he asked, managing a smile.

She turned to him, and shook her head. "I don't know. You know, I used to love Christmas. It was my favorite time of year. And it was the one time my family wasn't fighting."

"Oh," he said, understanding.

"Oh," she said in response and shook her head. "Christmas was the one day we all got along. I remember for so many years, my father kept up this elaborate charade so my siblings and I would believe in Santa…" she paused for a second, and then turned to him, her face oddly vulnerable. "There would be hot cocoa and cookies for Santa, and carrots for the reindeer-,"

"See, an' that's a nice gesture, the reindeer love to be thought of," he said, and when he saw the puzzled look on her face, he continued. "Or so I've heard."

"Right, and when we'd go downstairs on Christmas morning, the cocoa and cookies would be gone, and the carrots would be gnawed-,"

"No, that ain't right, reindeer eat carrots whole," he said absentmindedly.

She simply laughed, shaking her head at him, and going back to her story. "And there would be the most _wonderful_ gifts under the tree… like a rocking horse, and then one year there was a little red wagon my sister and I used for a lemonade stand." Her face grew wistful. "I used to get in fights with the other kids at school and with my brothers when they tried to tell me Santa wasn't real." She turned to him. "And then I thought I'd test it out for myself."

"If Santa was real, ya mean?" he asked.

"Yeah. When I was nine, I read this book called _The Polar Express –_ they made it into a movie, you know _–_ and the boy in that book got a sleigh bell from Santa's sleigh as a gift, and the story said that the bell would ring for everyone who believed. So that year… I secretly wished for one of the sleigh bells… I didn't tell anyone. I figured that if Santa was real then it would be under the tree on Christmas morning."

"And?" he asked.

"I went downstairs on Christmas morning, and… no sleigh bell. And when I told my parents, they sat me down… and told me the truth. I was devastated." She looked down at her hands, and then up at him. "You probably think that's silly."

"No," he replied softly. "I don't. Everyone needs somethin' to believe in."

"Yes," she agreed, and for a second there was shared understanding between them, a quiet moment as the fire crackled in the background. And then she stood up abruptly as Ducky walked in.

"Ah, Caitlin! I thought I heard voices in here."

"Hi Ducky," she said, walking over, the moment between her and Gibbs over, and kissing him on the cheek. "How are you?"

"Good, good. Where are the twins this evening?"

"I figured this was an adult party," she replied dryly. "They're staying with Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Breena tonight."

Ducky laughed. "Well in that case, may I get you a glass of wine?"

"I would love nothing more."

Ducky smiled, and left again, leaving silence between Kate and Gibbs.

 **XNCISX**

"I owe you one." Gibbs turned, only to see Kate standing beside him, giving him a wry smile.

"Whaddaya mean, Katie? This is a great party!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Not a very vibrant party, I'm afraid."

"Wanna dance?" he asked, holding out a hand.

"What?"

There was indeed music playing, some of Ducky's Christmas music that he'd insisted be playing during the party. It was slow and sweet, not the faster paced music that should have been playing at a holiday party. "Dance with me, Katie. Please?"

A smile slowly spread across her face until her entire face was lit up with joy. "I would love to dance with you, Gibbs."

"Perfect."

She took his hand, and they walked over to the empty space beside the Christmas tree, and started dancing together, and he grinned down at her, as they swayed to the music. "What are you thinking right now?" she asked, surprising him.

His smile faded for a second, and then reappeared. "Just thinkin' about how lucky I am to be among friends at Christmas."

She laughed, ducking her head. "You're not thinking about how boring this party is?"

"What, did ya have something else in mind?"

"Well I know that Nick is disappointed we're not going out drinking as an office Christmas party," she said, and he laughed.

"He did look bored."

"He did," she agreed. "And Tim and Ellie are gorging on finger foods because they're both stressed."

"Mmhmm," he said, in a tone that indicated he didn't particularly feel like talking.

Her cheeks turned pink. "Oh god, I'm sorry, I've been rambling at you."

"No need to apologize, Katie. I like hearin' ya talk."

"Seriously though," she said, as he spun her around, and she giggled to herself. "I really do owe you one."

"Do ya trust me?" he asked her.

She stopped in her tracks for a second, thinking about it, and then smiled. "I think you know the answer to that question, Gibbs." And then she surprised him by leaning a head against his chest as they continued swaying to the music. All of Gibbs' focus though was focused on the woman in front of him. He could have sworn before tonight that he did not love her, fond of her as he was, but it was hard to deny that there was something between them that could not be written off as friendship.

They continued swaying in time, not realizing that the music until they were brought sharply back to reality with a wolf whistle from Nick. Kate jumped away from Gibbs, blushing as they both tried to look inconspicuous and while Gibbs no longer considered himself a violent man, he suddenly would've liked nothing better than punting Nick through a window.

Kate meanwhile had crossed her arms. "You know, that wasn't actually that bad…" she said, turning to Gibbs, only to find that he had disappeared. "Naturally," she muttered to herself.

And then there was the distinctive sound of a spoon clinking against the side of a glass. She turned only to see Gibbs standing in front of the fireplace. He winked at her when he saw that she watching. "Attention! Hey, everyone!"

"Shut it!" Ellie yelled helpfully, and they shared a quick smile, before he said. "Now this may have seemed like a low key party, but I think it's time for the best part of the night: the Secret Santa!"

"Jethro, what are you…?" Ducky started.

"Ah Dr. Mallard… you volunteer to be first! Well go on, there's a gift under the tree with your name on it!"

"Jethro, those gifts are for Christmas-,"

"Ah, Ducky here thinks they're just for Christmas, but I know the truth, Duck! Can't fool me, never could. Go on!"

Ducky, looking exceedingly confused made his way over to the Christmas tree, and knelt down, muttering to himself about what a fool Jethro was being… until he found a rather large box sitting underneath the tree. He stood up, and walked over to the group, who were watching.

"Well?" Ellie asked.

Ducky pulled off the wrapping paper, discarding it. "It's…. a toy train."

"A toy train?" Nick asked, in disbelief, as Ellie picked up the discarded bow from the gift and stuck it to his forehead.

"Yes, I had one just like it… when I was young." He looked around at the crowd. "But who…?"

"Merry Christmas Duck," Gibbs said with a grin, and Kate frowned, watching the exchange. Ducky merely nodded.

"All right, what are the rest of ya waitin' for?" Gibbs asked, gesturing to the boxes underneath the tree.

Ellie hurried over. "Tim! This one's for you… and it's pretty heavy."

"Okay," Tim said worriedly. He took the box from Ellie, holding it out in front of him as if it was a bomb. Instead, as he pulled off the wrapping paper and tossed it aside, his face slowly changed from one of confusion to one of utter joy. He sat down. "It's an E-Z Bake oven," he said, surprise evident in his voice.

Nick started laughing. "Really?"

"Yeah… I used to have one just like it when I was a kid… I love the batter," Tim said with a grin, and then his face changed. "That's weird… I gave mine away when I was getting ready to move in with Delilah. But I didn't tell anyone…" He sat back in thoughtful contemplation, then shrugged. "All right, who wants brownies?"

"Ooh! Me!" Ellie said, and then ducked underneath the tree again. "Oh! Nick! I found yours!"

"Is it from you, Bish?" he asked, making his way over and smirking at her. "See, always knew you were sweet on me."

"Keep dreaming, Torres," she told him. "It's not from me."

He took the bag from her and pulled out the tissue paper, tossing it at Tim, who stuck his tongue out back. "Hey! Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots! I used to…. My sister and I would play with this all the time!" He looked up. "It's been at least a decade since I've seen these though…"

"Oh wow!" Ellie said, opening her own box. "Trivial Pursuit! I used to rock at this game!"

"Probably because you know so much useless information, hmm?" Nick called.

"It's not useless, and I bet you ten bucks I can kick your ass at Trivial Pursuit."

"Deal, but you gotta come play with my robots!"

Kate was staring around, arms crossed, shaking her head, watching, as Ducky was setting up the tracks for the toy train, and wearing the conductor's hat that had come with it, grinning and laughing to himself like a school boy. Tim was sitting in front of his E-Z oven, calling out to Ellie about if she didn't hurry, he would eat it all himself. Ellie had set herself down across from Nick, and they were playing with the robots, getting louder and louder with every passing second, as Tim shouted encouragement, and Ellie, as her robot pummelled Nick's, was shouting out random trivial facts interspersed with curse words in six languages. It was like Christmas morning all over again, watching her team acting like children, the worries and stresses of their adult lives somewhere far away while they played with the toys of their childhood, and she had never loved them more than she did in that moment.

She looked, only to find that the space under the tree was bare, save for the needles that were slowly dropping onto the tree skirt, and though she was not much a fan of Christmas anymore, she still felt a little disappointed that she hadn't received a Christmas gift.

"Ooh!" Ellie called, as she pulled out a trivial pursuit card. "This is a good one! The real name of Hawkeye in _M*A*S*H._ "

"His real name or his actor's name?" Ducky asked, from where his train was circling the track.

"The character's real name!"

"Benjamin Franklin Pierce," Tim said absentmindedly as he handed Ellie an E-Z baked good, which she stuffed in her mouth.

"Dude, how do you know that?" Nick asked, surprised.

"I watch a lot of reruns when I can't sleep," Tim explained. " _M*A*S*H_ is always on."

Ellie swallowed her brownie. "Correct, Tim. Your knowledge of trivia is almost as good as mine."

"I try," Tim said with a grin, and Kate was pleased to see, that he wasn't as down as he usually was, and for once he wasn't thinking of flights or airline websites crashing, just about having fun with his colleagues. It was nice to see, as he was too young to have the worry lines etched into his face.

"So," Gibbs said, appearing beside her. "I think the party is a little more fun now."

"I don't understand," she said, watching her colleagues shouting and laughing, and then she turned to him.

"It's a card game with trivia questions," he said, once again deliberately misunderstanding her question.

"Someone had to track down and find all those wonderful vintage toys."

"Must be someone good at online shopping," he commented. "Almost makes me wish I was good with computers."

She turned to him. "It was _you._ "

"What? No. Oh that reminds me. Found this under the tree," he said, holding out a small box, and she gave him a curious look. "Figure even the boss deserves a Christmas gift."

She unwrapped the box, and opened it, only to feel her heart skip a beat, her mouth dropping open as she stared at the contents of the box. She held a hand to her mouth, her eyes welling up as she stared, unable to form the necessary words, her brain moving so fast it kept tripping over itself with questions. _How- Why- How could he have..?_ She looked up at Gibbs, who was watching her expectantly. If nothing else his expression, though masked, confirmed what she already knew: he was responsible for the gifts. But even that didn't explain what she was looking at. She swallowed down whatever questions longed to spill from her waiting lips, and instead could only find a few words. "It's a sleigh bell," she whispered.

He nodded, and grinned. "Yep."

Trying to compose herself, she closed the box, and grabbed his arm, pulling him into the hallway. Their flight was not noticed by any of her laughing colleagues so focused were they on their toys, further confirming her initial impression of kids on Christmas morning.

In the darkness of the front foyer, she turned to him. "I told you about the sleigh bell two hours ago. How…?"

"Does it matter?"

"So it was you," she said and then managed a smile though her eyes were watering, and she shook her head again. "I don't understand. Did you send someone to spy on us?"

"No."

"Did you have me followed?"

"No."

"Did you talk to the staff?"

"No," he said, shaking his head.

"Then how-,"

"Do ya really need all the answers, Katie-girl?"

She stopped for a second, staring up at him. "Why?"

"Why?" he repeated.

"Why did you do this?"

"Because, Katie, everyone needs a Christmas. And boss or not, even you deserve a Christmas present."

"I need to know-,"

"Not everything needs an explanation," he said, putting a finger on her lips to stop the words spilling out.

She looked up at him in the darkness of the foyer, barely able to make out his face, though the Christmas lights outside were shining a light on them, and she wondered exactly what she was doing, clutching the sleigh bell she'd never gotten, the proof in a belief that she'd never truly shaken.

But Gibbs was there, staring down at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, and none of it mattered, and almost without a second thought, Kate was leaning in, about to press her lips to his-

"Jethro- Oh I'm sorry."

Kate backed away from Gibbs at once. "I should go," she said, and turned, fleeing back to the party, confused.

What had just happened?


	8. Chapter 8

He had tossed and turned the past two nights, unable to think of anything beyond those few haunting seconds when Caitlin Todd had been about to kiss him. Every time he tried to close his eyes, to sleep, his mind replayed those precious seconds on a never-ending loop, teasing him with a promise just out of reach. It had been burned into his memory, tantalizing him, reminding him that this was not a game. And he did not even have the benefit of boat-building to numb him to the ticking clock. It was why he'd shown up the past two days at the shop with coffee, and gingerbread cookies, and proceeded to help around the shop.

And here he was today, wandering around like he was lost, the crowds of people in the store bumping into him. He would've been talking to Kate, but she had been on the phone since he arrived, and they hadn't had the chance for a proper hello. It was why he was wandering the second floor, slightly less busy than the first, staring over the railing. He was able to see into the back office from where he stood, and could see Kate gesturing as she talked on the phone. Whatever she was talking about, it didn't seem like a good thing.

He stopped in front of a large Christmas tree set up in an alcove near the railing, which was covered entirely in snowflakes – or at least, ornaments resembling snowflakes – each bearing a name. He looked around for some kind of plaque bearing an explanation, momentarily forgetting that he was not in a museum, and then nearly jumped out of his skin, when someone spoke up behind him. "You like the tree?"

He turned around, and glared at the intruder, only to find he was staring at Kate. _How had she gotten up the stairs so fast?_ "Katie," he said with a grin.

"Did I actually manage to sneak up on you?" she asked, managing a grin in return.

"No," he mumbled, before staring back at the tree. "What is this, Katie? What's with the names?"

"Oh… that." She crossed her arms, looking suddenly uncomfortable. "You'll laugh."

"No," he said, as he stepped closer, putting hands on her shoulders. She briefly flinched at his touch, and he knew they were both remembering their near-kiss; staring into her eyes, he could see it had affected her as much as it had him. What feelings did she have for him? "I promise, Katie, I won't laugh."

"You promise?"

"Katie, I promised ya honesty, didn't I?"

She nodded, and managed a smile, before glancing at the tree. "You did, Gibbs. Okay. It's another one of our charitable ideas."

"Another of your grandfather's, right?" he asked.

She smiled. "Actually, this one is all mine."

He gestured. "Explain away, Katie-girl."

"Uh…" She bit her lip, before saying, "We let families buy the snowflake ornaments in memory of kids… kids that they've lost."

He felt that he'd taken a hit straight to the solar plexus, and he must have stiffened, for Kate turned to him, looking suddenly concerned. He gave her a smile. "Right. And the money?"

"Donated to the children's hospital," she replied. "Are you okay, Gibbs?"

There were several ways he could have responded. He could have told her about Kelly. He could have told her of the gaping emptiness that came with losing a child, the desperate need to preserve the memories of them that faded with every passing day, and to do everything possible to immortalize a child who never grew up. Instead, he dismissed it, unable to let her see that her comment had made him bleed.

"Fine," he shrugged off her hand, and gave her a grin. "Who was callin'?"

At that, she scowled. "Son of a bitch," she muttered, turning away, and her brows drew together.

"What's wrong, Katie?"

"The store is supposed to be holding an event today," she started, before eyeing him, looking him up and down.

"What, Katie, distracted by my looks?"

"No, I'm just thinking… you'd make a great Santa."

"What?" he asked, surprised. Of all the things he had been expecting her to say, this was not one of them.

"My Santa cancelled on me, and I have twenty children who are going to be here in half an hour for an even that I cannot cancel."

"And…"

"Can you be Santa for me?"

"Katie, I…" he tried, but he saw the look on her face.

 **XNCISX**

"I've gotta say, Gibbs, you do make a pretty great Santa," Kate said, straightening his jacket for him.

Seeing the laughter in her eyes, he wanted suddenly to confess the truth. And yet he knew it wasn't the right time. "Ya owe me," he told her.

She laughed. "I never seem to stop owing you."

And then, as they had been doing ever since he arrived, they lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, the weight of what had nearly happened at Ducky's party weighing down on them both.

"Katie," he started, and then stopped, seeing the look on her face. "Why did ya ask me?"

"You were there?" she replied, phrasing it as a question. She bit her lip, nervous suddenly, and it made him smile.

"That's not it," he said, stepping closer to her, and giving her a smirk.

"It isn't?" she asked, suddenly short of breath as he stared down at her.

He raised an eyebrow. "No, it isn't. So… the real reason?"

"You're good with kids," she told him. "I've seen the way you are with the twins, Gibbs, and some people just have a natural thing when it comes to kids… you're one of them."

"I'm nobody special," he insisted.

"Maybe not, and maybe you are somebody special… to someone. But that doesn't matter right now, because Gibbs, as of now, you're Santa."

 _Oh Katie, if only you knew._ "Kate," he said softly. "Bastards don't get to be Santa."

"I don't see any bastards," she said with a smile. "Just you."

"And do ya like what you see?" he asked, not even thinking about the context in his words.

"I did say I owed you one…" she started.

"Oh?" he asked, stepping even closer, so that they were inches apart, and if he wanted to, he could lean down and finish what Kate had started back at Ducky's party. It was what he wanted to do, but Kate stepped away, her cheeks red with embarrassment.

He didn't know what he'd said, but she simply laughed. "The beard isn't too itchy?"

"I've had worse," he muttered. He'd forgotten about the beard.

"Never took you for the facial hair type."

"Grew a moustache once," he told her.

"And?"

"Bad idea." She snorted, and he realized yet again how much he liked seeing her laugh. Would she laugh at him if he told her the truth? Most likely. She had confessed to him that she no longer believed, and he'd given a little too much of his secret away by giving her the sleigh bell… but somewhere inside a thrice-divorced Marine, there was a romantic. And closer to the surface was a desperate man just trying to keep his job. "So what's the idea behind this again?"

"You go out, you read the kids a few Christmas stories… you answer their questions, and then they eat pizza and watch a Christmas movie, you come into the back office, shut the door, and…" she trailed off, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

"And?" he asked.

She winked at him. "You can find out once you're done with the kids."

"Takin' advantage of Santa Claus? Never heard 'a that before," he teased.

"I like to be unpredictable," she told him.

"Be careful," he warned. "Or you're endin' up on the naughty list."

She shrugged. "So I end up on the naughty list."

"There's no way of talkin' ya outta this, is there?"

"Nope," she said with a grin.

He shook his head. "Dunno what I did to deserve this."

She reached up and kissed him on the cheek, surprising him. "Because, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, while a bastard you may be, you are a good guy deep down."

"Very deep down," he agreed. "Tell ya what, if ya feel like dinner and a movie, that'll make it up to me."

"Okay," she agreed, without hesitation.

"What should we eat for dinner?"

She thought it over. "Pizza."

"Thick or thin crust?" he asked, leaning against her desk.

"Oh, gotta be thin crust."

"Very good," he said.

"And the movie?"

" _Double Indemnity._ Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck."

"I'm impressed. That's a great movie," she said with a grin. "Tonight?"

"If ya aren't busy," he said, and they exchanged a smile.

"I will gladly make time for Santa Claus. Never been on a date with someone famous," she teased.

"Well darlin', you haven't lived," he said, moving even closer, and he saw something flicker in her eyes that he couldn't quite place.

"All right Santa, it's show time."

 **XNCISX**

She hadn't realized that it had been in the stack of Christmas books that she had handed him. It had been a stack she'd gotten from Ellie, filled with Christmas classics like _How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Olive the Other Reindeer_ and _Twas the Night Before Christmas._ He had read all of those to the children. And yet when she'd gone to check on the enraptured children, sitting silently with their Styrofoam cups of hot chocolate, she had found herself quickly falling under the spell of Santa Gibbs.

His voice was just strong enough that the kids could all hear him, but the tone of his voice suggested that he'd had much practice reading to children, and yet still conveyed the magic of the book he was reading to them.

He was reading _The Polar Express,_ perhaps a nod to her own childish fancies, but here he was, a man she was growing to like more and more, a man who had given her something that Santa never could.

The sleigh bell.

Why did she need to believe in Santa, when she had Gibbs? Wasn't he enough?

" _At one time most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound."_

She closed her eyes for a second, whisked back to the thrill she'd had when she'd first read the book, feeling convinced that Santa had to exist, and that he would bring her a sleigh bell, much like the one currently tucked underneath her pillow like a good luck charm. She found herself mouthing the final words of the story, the ones that still nearly brought tears to her eyes.

 _"Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe._ The end." He closed the book, and set it down on his lap. "Okay, now… who has questions?"

A little kid sitting in the front row called out, "Who's your favourite reindeer?"

"Comet," he said, and she blinked as she leaned against the counter, surprised at how fast he'd responded. It was like he hadn't even had to think about it.

"And what's your favorite cookie Santa?"

"I really like gingerbread cookies… but they're all good, right?" he asked, smiling as he leaned back in the chair that had been provided for him. Watching him, Kate felt vindicated; he _was_ good with kids, she was right.

"He makes a great Santa," Ellie said, appearing at her elbow, and leaning on the counter next to her. "How'd you get him to agree?"

"There may have been some blackmail involved," Kate said, turning to her. "Have you seen the twins lately?"

"They're in the security office with Nick. He invented some game and now they can't tear themselves away." Ellie smiled almost to herself. "Never knew he was so good with kids."

Kate grinned, watching her, but then frowned. "I still can't believe they haven't shown any interest in meeting Santa."

"They haven't?" Ellie asked. "That's… kinda weird. They're still a little young to stop believing."

"How old were you?" Kate asked.

"Four," Ellie said, and grinned as Kate frowned. "Having three older brothers means that they couldn't let me have it, but it's okay."

"I had three older brothers and I fought back," Kate shook her head as she said it. "I didn't let them crush my dreams."

"So how old were you?" Ellie asked.

"I was nine."

"Well I'm sure the twins still believe… but maybe what they want for Christmas is out of reach, you know?"

"What do you mean?" Kate asked, turning to her.

Ellie looked down at her hands. "Sometimes you can't help but ask Santa for the impossible."

"Ellie," Kate started, but then frowned as her phone beeped. "Uh oh. Inclement weather alert. Blizzard warning in effect for DC tonight." She looked up. "You should get home."

"And leave you here to fend for yourself with twenty kids?" Ellie asked, then smiled. "Let you have all the fun? No way."

"Ellie, I'm not sure how safe it is-,"

"Kate," Ellie replied, mimicking her friend's exasperated tone. "Nick and I are staying. If something happens, well, we'll ride out the storm together."

"You may be a team player, but Nick isn't. I should send him home…" Kate trailed off, glancing over at Gibbs, who caught her eye, and smiled.

"Got a hot date I don't know about?" Ellie asked, watching them.

"What? No."

"No?" Ellie asked, smirking.

" _No._ "

Ellie held up her hands in surrender. "Don't say I didn't try."

"And yet every time _I_ try and set you up with someone…" Kate started.

"Not interested."

"So you keep telling me. I just want you to be happy, Ellie," Kate said, touching her hand.

"I know. Believe it or not, it's what I want too," Ellie said, before leaping over the counter, and going over to where the kids were with Gibbs. "Hey kids, are we all ready for the movie and the pizza? Santa has to get back to the Pole, you know."

"Does he have to go?" one of the kids whined.

"Yes," Ellie said firmly.

"I believe," Gibbs said, kneeling in front of the poor kid. "That there's a rule against poutin'?"

"Yeah," the kid said, frowning.

"Tell you what, if you be a good little boy tonight, I promise you'll get exactly what ya want for Christmas. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Say goodbye to Santa, everyone, and then we'll see about getting you some food!"

"Bye Santa!" they chorused, and Gibbs waved, before walking over and joining Kate behind the counter.

"You really are amazing with kids," she told him. "And I was right, you make an _amazing_ Santa."

"Ya still ambushed me," he said, unamused. "So don't go thinkin' you're off the naughty list just yet."

"Duly noted," she said with a laugh. "Thank you so much, Gibbs."

"Oh, by the way," he said with a smile. "Just remembered." He handed her ten dollars. "Is that enough for a snowflake?"

"A snowflake?" she asked, not understanding.

"For the tree. Upstairs."

"Yes, Gibbs, that's more than enough… It's too much."

"Ho ho ho," he said, without humor. His voice was actually tinged with something resembling sadness.

"What name do you want on it?" she asked.

"Kelly."

"Kelly," Kate said, pulling a snowflake ornament from a drawer, biting her lip as she wrote with the sparkly golden pen. "Kelly…" She handed it to him. "Once you get changed, you can put it on the tree, okay?"

"Sure." He appreciated that she didn't ask questions, and went to the doorway of the office, to change back into the clothes he'd arrived in, but something made him turn around when he reached the door, and he watched her work for a few minutes, putting his money in the donation box, before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

He stopped, realizing he was acting vaguely like a stalker, and ducked into the office, muttering to himself the whole time about how he'd left the North Pole to protect himself from being Santa and the woman he was trying to convince that he was Santa had talked him into being Santa. He had to laugh at how much of a mess it was becoming. He needed to be honest with her.

 _Have you ever been in love?_ He remembered her asking, when they'd been sitting on the staircase together, and he'd answered honestly.

But did he love Kate?

He wasn't sure. And yet… _And yet…_

Once changed, and clutching the small white snowflake in hand, he rejoined Kate. She grabbed his hand, fast enough that he didn't have time to think of the implications of what she was doing, and tugged him up the staircase to where the Christmas tree glowed, tiny white lights glowing among the snowflakes and casting shadows on the darkened second floor. He approached the tree with a sense of peace, the same feelings he'd had when the nurse had first handed him the small, red-headed bundle that was his daughter. And he felt the same reverence now that he had then.

With hands roughened by hours working on his boat, he gently hung the snowflake on an evergreen branch, inhaling the scent of pine and noticing with a lump in his throat, just how many snowflakes there were.

And then there was a hand on his arm, and Kate was there, solid and alive beside him, the lump in his throat worsening as she asked, "Who was she?"

"My daughter." The words spilled out before he could stop them. He turned to look at her. "She was my daughter."

"And what happened to her?" It was barely a whisper.

"She died. Car accident."

"I'm sorry, Gibbs," she said, and took his hand again. The two of them stood, in the dark, and he felt ashamed as the white lights of the tree blurred into pinpricks of light due to the tears in his eyes.

"Long time ago."

"Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt."

He squeezed her hand, and smiled down at her. "Thank you, Katie."

"You're welcome. Can you tell me about her?" Kate asked.

"C'mere." He sat down on the floor, then lay down, halfway under the Christmas tree, staring up into the branches, the white lights glowing like constellations among the branches of the evergreen, fragrant needles on the floor beneath him, a snowflake sticking out here and there among the branches.

Kate lay down next to him, and they lay there together, joined by clasped hands and nothing more. "You don't have to if you don't want to," she said.

"I want to," he said.

"Okay."

There was silent for a moment as they breathed each other in, and he closed his eyes for a second against the glow of the lights, conjuring up an image of his daughter. "She was eight," he started. "Brave, and funny… and smart. Looked like her mother. Red hair, freckles." There was a pause. "She had my eyes." His eyes opened again as he looked up, the lump in his throat dissolving as he welcomed the memories he normally suppressed. "Had a gift of carin' for people... generous, had a big heart." He turned his head, only to find that Kate was watching him, the lights illuminating her face, and he was suddenly struck breathless by the reminder that this was not something he had planned on.

He had never talked about Kelly to his former wives. It was a wall, one he'd never taken down, and here he was with a woman he barely knew, and she'd dismantled it, brick by brick.

"Was she like you?" Kate asked.

"Not really. She was better… she was good."

"You're good, Gibbs." She squeezed his hand, and they looked at each other for a second, in a moment of shared understanding.

"Thank you, Katie."

"Did you… Did you get into toy building because of Kelly?"

"Nah. It was more atonement than anythin'."

"Atonement?" she asked, looking surprised. "For what?"

"I've killed people, Kate. I was a Marine. A sniper. And then an NCIS agent. I've seen a lotta ugly things…"

"Humans are bastards," she summed up nicely, and his eyes widened at her words.

"Yeah. How did you-?"

"You're just like my grandfather," she told him with a hint of a smile, though he could see that her eyes were wet. "He started the toy store after he served in World War Two."

Gibbs nodded. "Atonement."

"You would've liked him. He was a lot like you."

"Like me how?"

"Generous… rough around the edges, but absolutely-."

"Kate!"

Both of their heads shot up, hitting themselves on the tree, and Kate stumbled out. "Tim?" she called, looking over the railing.

Tim was covered in snow. "Bad news, Kate."

"What?"

"The blizzard," Ellie said, understanding.

"It's not safe to leave," Tim explained.

"You mean…?"

"We're stuck here, Kate."


	9. Chapter 9

Kate and Gibbs were both standing at the railing, and she found herself reeling from Tim's words. Until she noticed just how covered in snow he was. She met Gibbs's eyes and they reached a silent agreement: _control the damage._ She ran down the staircase, pulling off Tim's jacket. "What were you thinking?" she scolded. "You could have frozen to death!"

"The phone lines are down," Tim said softly, and she met his eyes, feeling a sudden burst of panic in the pit of her stomach. What if something had happened to him?

"You're an idiot, Timothy McGee," she told him, patting the side of his face, and then headslapping him.

He winced. "Couldn't let you guys have all the fun," he said with a half-hearted grin. "Besides, Kate, if you think I'm leaving my coworkers alone in a blizzard, _you're_ the idiot."

Kate felt rather as if she'd like to slap him again, until Gibbs spoke up behind her, and she jumped, not realizing he'd followed her down the stairs. "Never leave a man behind."

"Exactly." Tim nodded at him. "Thanks Gibbs."

"Noble as your intentions may have been…" Kate trailed off threateningly. "That attitude could get you in a lot of trouble someday."

"Are you okay?" Ellie asked, walking over, and taking Tim's jacket from him, stiff with snow.

"I'm fine, it's a nightmare out there, and the storm is supposed to last the night… the weatherman is hoping it'll blow over by morning… no one is supposed to leave their houses."

"And yet ya came," Gibbs said, crossing his arms.

"Had to make sure the rest of you were safe, and I couldn't reach you over the phone-,"

"All right, yes, Tim, you were very brave to come through a blizzard to make sure we're okay."

"What's goin' on?" came a call from the other back office. Nick had emerged, dark circles under his eyes, and a twin on either side of them. "Nice dramatic entrance by the way, Timmy boy."

"Thanks Nick," Tim replied, and then Nick got a closer look at him.

"What happened to you, man?"

"I just walked through a blizzard to make sure everyone was okay. Don't thank me or anything."

"Are you okay, man? Anything I can do?" Nick asked.

"Yes."

Kate suddenly realized that the five of them had an audience. She turned, only to see an entire group of terrified children staring wide-eyed back at her. "What's going on, Miss?" asked one of the little boys.

She opened her mouth, but then Tim walked over and knelt in front of the boy. "What's your name, buddy?"

"Fisher," the boy said, looking up at his with worried brown eyes.

Tim put a hand on his shoulder. "Well, Fisher, I'm Tim."

"What's going on?" Fisher asked.

"We're having a super fun sleepover," Tim said, grinning at him. "In fact, Mr. Nick is going to make sure everyone is comfortable, and Miss Ellie is gonna get us all some hot chocolate. Is that okay with you?"

Fisher nodded. "What about our parents?"

"They can't be here right now, but they will get here tomorrow, okay?"

"Do you promise?"

"Yes, Fisher, I promise." Tim leaned in. "Can I tell you a secret?"

Fisher looked at the other kids, who were all listening in, then turned back to Tim, nodding quickly. "Yeah."

"Santa specifically told us how much fun you guys would have at a big sleepover here, in the toy store."

"You know Santa?" Fisher asked, eyes lighting up.

"He's a very good friend of mine," Tim said with a smile. "But we have to be very good tonight, okay?"

"Okay." Tim patted his shoulder, and then Fisher surprised everyone by hugging Tim. "Thank you Mr. Tim."

"You're welcome, Fisher," he said, before pulling away. "Nick?"

Nick stepped forward. "We've got some blankets in the back, but you get to use your coats for pillows. It's just like camping. Now, who wants to watch another movie?"

Everyone put up their hands, and Gibbs gave Tim a grin as Nick put in another DVD for the kids. "You'd make a great Santa."

Tim half-shrugged. "You just gotta believe."

"That was amazing, Tim," Ellie chimed in.

Nick, who was done with the DVD, came back over. "Fantastic. Not a single kid panicking. Gibbs, want to help me hand out blankets?"

"Sure."

"Oh, by the way," Torres said, clapping Tim on the shoulder. "Maybe you're cut out to be a dad after all, Timmy."

Tim laughed, as Torres turned back to helping and Gibbs joined him in passing out blankets.

Kate shook her head, watching him. "Does Delilah know how lucky she is?"

Tim laughed again, and shook his head. "Kate, she's not the lucky one here. I am."

Kate reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "Okay… Father Christmas." And then she took a closer look. "You need a blanket too, you're shivering!"

"I just walked through a blizzard, Kate," he said dryly. "It's not exactly the tropics out there, is it?"

"I'm gonna tell Delilah to buy you thermal underwear for the next time you decide to go for a walk in a blizzard," Kate told him. "Ellie-,"

"I'm grabbing him hot chocolate, and a blanket," Ellie replied.

Nick and Gibbs walked back over. "Let's regroup to my office," Kate offered. "We can leave the door open so if the kids need something, they can come in."

Once seated in the office, she looked around at her team. "Listen, guys, I think you should go home."

"We can't," Ellie said, shaking her head. "You heard Tim, it's too dangerous."

"Yeah boss, we're in for the long haul," Nick said with a grin.

"Never leave a man behind," Gibbs said softly, and Kate gave him a quick look of understanding. Whatever quiet moment they'd shared under the Christmas tree was gone.

"Fine. in that case, we're watching the kids in shifts," Kate said, standing up.

"Sure."

"Whaddaya say, Gibbs?" Tim asked.

"Yeah, sure"

 **XNCISX**

Gibbs was leaning against the counter, alternating between staring at the kids, and watching the snow blow past the window, obscuring the outside world. It was like living in a snow globe- he had the sudden sensation that the world outside the store didn't exist. He yawned, remembering the snow globe he'd given to Ducky to convince him that he was really Santa Claus.

"Things all seem quiet… I just talked to Nick, and he has a couple of sleeping bags in the security office that he's willing to lend us," Tim said, joining him.

"Great." He turned to the younger man. "That's good work, Tim."

"What do you mean?" Tim asked.

"With Fisher and the rest of the kids earlier. That coulda turned out a lot differently, but ya kept them from panicking. It was a good job… stopped a stampede."

Tim shook his head. "I have no idea how to be a dad."

"Well unless you're gonna be a dad anytime soon, you don't hafta worry about that," Gibbs said. "Ya want kids?"

"I think so," Tim replied. "Not the best time though."

"Yeah… havin' kids… really changes your whole life."

"You mentioned when you helped at the store… You had kids?" Tim asked, and then backtracked when he saw the look Gibbs gave him. "I mean- I don't want to pry, I was just curious…" As he stumbled over his words, Gibbs smiled.

"One. A daughter named Kelly. She an' her mother died."

"I'm sorry," Tim said gently. "I can't even imagine..."

Gibbs turned to him. "… Tell me about your girlfriend."

Tim blinked, clearly not having expected that. "My girlfriend?"

"Yeah… I've been watchin' ya fight like crazy to get to her for Christmas… so what makes her so special?"

"Well, Gibbs, you loved your wife, right? Kelly's mother?"

"Yeah. More 'n anythin'."

"Exactly."

"But she moved halfway around the world, Tim."

"I know. I let her go. Well… not _let_ her. I told her to go. It was a job opportunity that couldn't pass up."

"Ya let her go? Why?" Gibbs asked.

Tim smiled wistfully. "Because, Gibbs. I love Delilah… more than anything. I wanted her to be happy. And if she's happy, then I'm happy."

"But ya aren't happy," Gibbs said, shaking his head. He felt as if he was misunderstanding the situation. "You're miserable."

"I'm not miserable!" Tim protested, his brow furrowed. "I… I miss her. And it's been six months since we've seen each other. She's… the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"How long have ya been together?"

"Year and a half," Tim explained, looking down at his hands. "She's a cryptologist for the Department of Defense… she's smart, and funny, and absolutely beautiful… Here, I've even got a picture." He pulled out his phone, and shoved it towards Gibbs, who grinned at the picture.

He also could only hope that he'd find someone who would be that excited to talk about him the way Tim talked about Delilah.

 **XNCISX**

"The kids are asleep," Kate announced, walking in to find Gibbs sprawled out on the couch, who sat up when she arrived, seeing the pizza box she carried.

"What's that?" he asked.

She sat down beside him, and stretched, before giving him a smile. "It isn't exactly dinner and a movie… but it is greasy cheese pizza, and we are alone. Sorry if this wasn't exactly the date night you wanted."

"Nah, Katie, it's perfect… it's perfect," he said, their eyes meeting. He reached for a slice, his hand brushing against hers, and she pulled away as if she had been burned.

"Good," she said, before taking a bite of pizza. "Tim and Nick were fantastic with the kids… stopped them from panicking."

Gibbs shook his head. "Nah. Kids are a lot braver 'n we give 'em credit for."

She bit into her pizza violently, and he raised his eyebrows. Swallowing she shook her head, the sudden anger in her eyes surprising him. "I'm going to kill Oscar."

"Oscar?"

"Oscar Bradley, he's my friend from law school, he was initially going to be Santa today and he cancelled last minute. I'm sorry, Gibbs. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be stuck here with us."

"I can think of worse places to be," he said, meeting her eyes over the pizza box, and after a second she looked away, turning pink.

"Hey!" Nick said, walking in, carrying a tin, followed by Ellie and Tim.

"What are you doing here, Nick?" Kate asked, moving further away from Gibbs on the couch. He was almost hurt by that, but simply turned, as Nick, Ellie and Tim all sprawled out on the carpet.

"Why let you two have all the fun?" Nick asked. "Besides I brought cookies! Consider it a bribe."

"Only you would need a bribe to get involved," Ellie teased.

"Aw Bish, I _am_ the bribe. The cookies are just a bonus."

"I'll cover you in glitter again," she threatened.

Tim simply rolled his eyes and sat between them. "If you two can't behave, then you can't sit together," he told them.

"Ha!" Gibbs laughed. "Who needs kids, Tim? Ya have Bishop and Torres here instead."

"Somehow I think that would make for an awkward adoption," Kate joked, before reaching for the cookie tin. "What do you have in here, Nick?"

"Gingerbread cookies," Nick said. "Baked them myself."

"I'd be convinced, Nick, but I saw this exact same tin at the supermarket last week," Kate said, as Gibbs took a bite of one of the cookies.

He made a face, and asked through the mouthful of cookie, "These aren't homemade?"

"I didn't know I worked with such… cookie snobs!" Nick retorted.

"What a great insult, Torres," Tim grinned.

"A man of such wit," Ellie said, toasting him with her hot chocolate.

"Be quiet Bish, and drink your hot chocolate," Nick threatened. "God, I need a drink."

"This is a drink-free zone," Kate told him. "If you want to go get drunk, do it in the security office."

Gibbs and the others cackled as Nick tried to look offended. "All I'm sayin' is I know how to get the party started."

"Sure."

Gibbs shoved the cookie tin back at Nick. "Here."

"I can't believe you're such a snob," Nick said. "I took you for a simple pleasures kinda guy, Gibbs."

"Usually am. Boat… bourbon… Perfect evenin'."

"No wonder you're single," Nick made a face.

"A boat?"

"Yeah, I build boats in my basement…" Gibbs said, as Tim and Ellie exchanged a look.

"As if your weekend plans are any better, Elf Lord," Ellie teased Tim, who looked skeptical.

"And besides, Torres, women I date think the smell of sawdust is sexy… but then I don't date many women." He looked almost disappointed, and Kate had to laugh.

"So Tim," Nick started. "Are you sure that you don't have a kid hidin' somewhere? Because you were great back there."

"I volunteer with kids sometimes," Tim said in reply. "And besides, I want kids _someday._ "

"And what does Delilah think?" Ellie asked.

"We've only… we haven't really…"

"Probably a good idea to talk about it," Kate suggested.

"Are things okay with the two of you?" Ellie asked, and the light atmosphere felt a little heavier as they all turned to look at him.

"As good as they can be when we haven't seen each other in person in six months. Skype dates aren't really the same," Tim sighed.

"Well, if you ever change your mind about her, I'll gladly take her off your hands," Ellie said with a grin.

"That makes two of us," Kate agreed. At Gibbs's confused look, she grinned. "Delilah is such an amazing person that if she wasn't with Tim, I think Ellie and I would compete for her."

"Ah," Gibbs said, and the look on his face said he understood.

"Not my type," Nick said. "But the two of you are welcome to compete over here."

"No, no competing," Tim said, shaking his head. "Delilah is mine."

"What is your type?" Ellie asked, grinning.

"Blondes," Nick replied.

"Really?" Ellie asked. "I didn't think…"

"I like to be unpredictable," Nick said, winking at her.

"If you're gonna flirt, take it back to the security office," Kate suggested, rolling her eyes. "I can't be sober watching this."

"Says _you_ ," Tim said with a laugh, looking between Kate and Gibbs.

"What's that supposed to mean, Tim?" Kate asked.

"Uh… I think I heard the kids… I have to go… help," he said, before making a quick exit.

"There's a couch in my office," Torres told Ellie. "You can have it."

She blinked, surprised. "Wow, that's nice of you Torres. Thanks."

"Don't thank me, Bishop, the springs are so uncomfortable you'll be tossing and turning all night. The floor is better… and that's where I'll be."

She laughed. "Should've known. I think I'll take you up on that offer."

"Are we leaving Tim to the mercy of the kids?" Nick asked, as he and Ellie stood.

"Go get some sleep," Kate said, smiling at them. "We can worry about the storm in the morning. Stay warm."

"You too," Ellie said, glancing between Kate and Gibbs, before following Nick out the door. "Night."

"Good night!" Kate called back, before turning back to her pizza, laughing to herself. "Does she think she's subtle?"

"Apparently. What does she think is gonna happen with all those kids in the next room?" he asked, without thinking, and their eyes met for a second.

"Well… she has a dirty mind," Kate said, losing her train of thought as she looked into the blue eyes of the man across from her.

"Makin' excuses for her, I see," he said with a grin.

"She's like my little sister, it's practically in her job description to imply indecency."

"I did accuse ya of takin' advantage of Santa."

"I haven't taken advantage of anyone… for at least a week," she told him, and he laughed. There was a moment of silence for a second, and then both started talking at the same time. "It's funny-,"

"I think-," They laughed, clearly both embarrassed, though it was a strange emotion and hard to place on Gibbs's face. "You were right before," Gibbs said. "Wasn't exactly how I planned to spend my night."

"I really will never stop owing you," she told him, laughing almost to herself. "And now look where it's gotten you. Stuck. With me and my bickering employees."

"I like your employees," he said, insulted on their behalf. "They're… interesting."

"Absolutely insane, you mean," Kate corrected him. "But it's okay. They're family."

"Katie… I dunno what ya take me before, but trust me… there is nowhere I'd rather be."

She smiled. "Liar."

"Dunno what ya mean. I'm honest."

"Are you?" she asked. "Then what are you thinking right now, Mr. Honesty?"

"I'm thinkin' about how ya almost kissed me at Ducky's holiday party." He didn't care if that was the wrong thing to say, because he was looking at her, and she was looking back at him. At his words, she blushed.

"I really wanted to kiss you," she said. "I'm sorry."

"There's a rule against apologizin', Katie… and why are you sorry? 'M not."

She looked up then. "You're not?"

Staring into her brown eyes, the dim light of the single lamp burning on her desk, and able to count every one of her freckles, the spark of hope in her eyes undeniable. _Was it impossible that he could love her?_ "Why should I be? Wanted to kiss you too."

"Oh." She ducked her head for a second, and then shook her head. "Gibbs, I was just super overwhelmed by the sleigh bell… and I couldn't believe that you would do that for me. And I didn't understand, I still don't, but…"

"Katie," he cut her off, gently.

"What?"

"I can't kiss you if you're talkin'." She met his eyes, and then as if by some unspoken agreement, they both leaned in, waving the white flag of surrender, tentatively taking a step towards something more. This was the collision course, the path they'd been on since long before Ducky's party.

And then they bumped noses, both laughing, the sudden terrible tension broken as they both laughed. He stroked a hand down her cheek, blue eyes staring into brown, and he couldn't put a name to the sudden nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. Instead of questioning it, he watched as she swallowed the laughter and he realized that they were both nervous. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the words lost. He'd never been good with words, but this feeling of potential between the two of them… he suddenly wished to put a name to it.

She nodded in the silence, feeling that words did not fit the situation, as they both leaned in, their lips barely touching, tentatively, and then the unknown feeling blossomed into a fire, and her mouth opened to his as they kissed, and as he cupped her face in his hands, she melted into him, knocking the empty pizza box to the ground, and he pulled her into his lap, her hands in his hair.

He pulled away eventually, breathless, and grinned down at her. "Wow."

"That's what they all tell me," she told him with a slight smile, before shaking her head.

"Known that was gonna happen for a long time," he told her.

"Did you? Hm. Interesting."

"Didn't say it was a bad thing."

"You sure know how to flatter a girl," she teased.

"Katie," he said, wondering if she had felt that same energy between them. "That was…"

She smirked. "Good?"

"Yeah… good. Great."

"I don't think I ever properly thanked you for the sleigh bell," she said softly. "It was a perfect.. and personal present."

"Everyone needs somethin' to believe in," he said, and her eyes lit up.

"You did give me something to believe in, Gibbs."

"And what's that, Katie?" he asked, realizing that he damn well _could_ love Caitlin Todd, ticking clock be damned.

"Us."

 **XNCISX**

She was warm, and sleepy, and wishing that she could stay asleep forever, with someone's arm wrapped around her waist. She didn't want to move, but someone was calling her from far away.

"Kate. _Boss._ "

She opened her eyes, yawning. "Whoa!" She fell off the couch, where she had fallen asleep with Gibbs.

"… holy Fourth of July weenie roast," Nick muttered, watching them.

Gibbs, who had jerked awake when he Kate had fallen off the couch, yawned and grinned. "Fell asleep talkin'."

"A likely story," Nick retorted, smirking.

"Is the storm over?" Kate asked, standing. Her hair was a mess, but she hoped her dignity was at least intact.

"Yeah, all the parents are coming as soon as they can."

Tim and Nick both left, leaving Kate and Gibbs staring at each other. He spoke first. "We okay, Katie?"

"Yes." She smiled. "More than okay."

 _There's hope after all._


	10. Chapter 10

"Ah, Caitlin!" Ducky grinned, watching her kick the snow from her boots. "Jethro told me he'd invited you over! How are you?"

"I'm good, Ducky. I brought company…" she warned as the girls rushed in, and his face lit up.

"Hello ladies," he said to them. "And how are the two of you?"

Laura consulted her mood ring before she grinned at him, showing a gap where one of her front teeth should be. "I'm happy."

"Well I'm too hot," Elle complained, taking a step further into the entry hall. Kate, as she unwound her scarf from around her neck, found herself looking around, surprised that with the unholy racket that they were making, that Gibbs hadn't made an appearance yet.

As if she'd summoned him, he leaned out the doorway to the library, and grinned when he saw them. "Katie."

"Gibbs," she replied, stopping in her tracks, watching him. If she had been unsure how to act around him in the aftermath of Ducky's Christmas party, she was most certainly uncertain now that they had kissed… and slept together (in a manner of speaking) on the couch in her office.

"Donald," Ducky interjected, watching the two of them staring at each other, clearly having no patience for their antics. "Since we appear to be introducing ourselves."

"Recovered from the blizzard the other night?" Gibbs asked, walking into the foyer. He walked over to Kate, leaning down and kissing her briefly.

Ducky stared between them, and then smirked. "Ah, it's like that, is it?"

"Sure it, Duck," Gibbs said, but he was grinning down at Kate instead of looking at his old friend. She marvelled, staring back at him, at how with just a few words, he had managed to dispel any awkward tension that might have lingered between them, and she tried to convey, without words, her gratitude. He simply nodded, and grinned down at her. "Like I said, Katie, recovered from the other night yet?"

"I have," she replied, looking up at him. "But I'm pretty sure everyone on my staff is drafting resignation letters as we speak."

"Nah, they love ya."

"They aren't the only ones," Elle muttered as she pulled off her mittens.

"Uncle Gibbs," Laura said, tugging on Gibbs's sleeve. "Look." And then she grinned at him, displaying her gap-toothed smile.

Gibbs grinned, kneeling down in front of her. "Did ya lose a tooth, Laura?"

"I did! It was wobbly at the store the other day, so I pushed on it with my tongue and it came out!"

Kate ruffled her hair, as Gibbs looked up at her. "Must've given your poor auntie a scare."

Kate laughed. "I was definitely more traumatized than she was. She was just excited about the tooth fairy."

"And did the tooth fairy come?"

"She left me a whole dollar!" Laura said with a grin.

"That's great, kiddo," he said, before turning to Elle. "And what about you?"

"What about me?" she asked, throwing her mittens on the ground. "I'm too hot."

"Well… maybe… we could go outside."

"And play in the snow?" Elle asked, a grin slowly spreading across her face.

"Yeah, and play in the snow."

"Yes!" She grabbed her mittens and started pulling them off.

"Sounds good to me, Gibbs," Kate said, smiling at him. "And meanwhile, I think I'll keep Ducky company in here…"

"Oh no ya don't," he said, grabbing her hand as she walked past, and the movement spun her around, so that she crashed into his chest, speechless.

"Oh," was all she managed to say.

He grinned down at her, raising his eyebrows. "What's the matter, Katie? Don't wanna spend time with me?"

"I do," she said, meeting his eyes, and then she smiled. "I do."

"Let's go!" Elle cried from the door, where she and Laura were both standing, impatiently.

"You heard the girls," Gibbs said, as Kate stepped away from him.

"I'll meet you out there," she told him. "I just need to thaw my fingers first."

"I have a way ya can thaw them," he told her.

"Oh really?" she asked, and he winked.

"Let ya find out, if ya join me outside."

"For heaven's sake," Ducky said from the doorway to the kitchen. "Really? In front of the twins?"

Gibbs leaned down before Kate could make further protests and kissed her on the forehead. "Now Katie, we all know Santa's watchin' this time 'a year, so don't be naughty."

"Oh you're telling _me_ not to be naughty?" she asked under her breath, as Gibbs followed the twins outside. She shivered in the foyer, which suddenly seemed much too loud and empty for her liking. She turned to Ducky, who simply smiled at her.

"I hadn't realized things between you and Jethro had changed."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she retorted, pulling her jacket back on.

"But then," he continued, seemingly ignoring that she'd said anything. "I do suppose you felt the need to finish what you both had started at my holiday party."

"I will cover my ears," she threatened.

Ducky saluted her. "Stay warm, Caitlin."

"Sure," she muttered, winding her scarf back around her face, and opening the door. "I'll be sure to."

Tramping through the snow, around to the backyard, she considered the reason that she'd accepted Gibbs's invitation. He hadn't run from her after their kiss, which was a good sign, she thought. The blizzard had left behind tons of snow, but overall, no one had been worse for wear. And the snow that was left made the whole world look like the front of a Christmas card.

She had to wonder at her luck, a charming bastard of a man dropping into her life like magic, one who got along with the twins and didn't see them as a massive inconvenience as everyone else did, and one who appreciated her job at the toy store. _How had she gotten so lucky to meet him_?

Reaching the backyard she narrowly dodged being hit in the face with a snowball. "Hey!" she cried, ducking.

She heard the twins laughing, and caught a flash of a jacket as Gibbs ducked behind a tree. And then the twins appeared, each launching snowballs at her. Realizing she was being ambushed, she dropped to her knees, soaking through the knees of her jeans, hastily creating a few snowballs of her own. Having launched them at the twins, who jumped out of the way with matching squeals of excitement, she rushed for the tree, looking for Gibbs, only to shriek as a handful of snow was stuffed down the back of her jacket.

"Gibbs-," she started to reprimand him, but suddenly a gloved hand was over her mouth.

"Shh, Katie, ya wanna get us caught?"

She wrenched his hand away, and turned to him, "You have some nerve, stuffing snow down my jacket and ganging up on me with my own nieces-," She was cut off again, only instead of by a hand, it was due to the fact that Gibbs was kissing her.

He pulled away and grinned down at her. "Geez, Katie, do ya ever stop talkin'?"

"Apparently only when you stop me," she replied, unable to stop herself smiling. She took a deep breath, but then looked up at him. "Gibbs, I wanted to ask-,"

"Shh," he muttered, looking around the tree. "We're under attack."

"How do you know?"

"Sniper's instinct," he replied, before peering around the tree. Kate knew what was going to happen before it happened, and managed to grab the lapels of his jacket, tugging him back behind the tree as a snowball sailed past. He started laughing, seeing the nervous look on her face. "Thanks, Katie. Saved me."

"Was nothing," she replied. "Think it's safe?"

"Dunno. Maybe ya should kiss me before I go out there? In case I don't come back alive?" he asked, eyes alight with mischief.

She bit her lip, meeting his eyes, her own eyes flickering to his lips. "Come back alive, and then we'll talk, solider," she told him.

"Sure thing, Cap'n." He nodded at her before rushing out from behind the tree. She leaned against the wide trunk, suddenly breathless, leaning her head back to stare up into the snowy branches. Why couldn't she just spit it out?

Taking a deep breath, she managed to clear most of the snow from beneath her jacket. The back of her shirt was soaked. And then she ducked out from behind the tree, only to find Gibbs and the twins wrestling in the snow, all three of them laughing like idiots, and as she got closer, Gibbs managed to get out of the twins' grasp, only to find himself on his knees, looking up at Kate.

She stopped dead in her tracks, shocked by the naked adoration written all over his face. He saw that she's noticed, and gave a half-shrug, not even embarrassed. And then he tugged her to the ground, in a flurry of snow and laughter.

 **XNCISX**

She held her feet closer to the fire, feeling the warmth blissfully spreading through her as if she'd suddenly stepped into a warmth bath, and she closed her eyes in ecstasy.

"Wish I could put a look like that on your face," she heard from behind her, and turned to shoot a disapproving look at Gibbs, who grinned in response.

"Cheeky insufferable bastard," she mumbled.

"Been called worse, Katie," he told her.

She rolled up the sleeves of the too-big borrowed sweater she wore, as she turned to him. "Laugh all you want. You're not getting this back."

He eyed her, dressed in his Marines sweater, her hair down, looking remarkably disheveled for a respectable woman, and grinned. "Looks better on you, anyway."

"I'm sure you say that to all the girls," she told him, before joining him on the couch, curling into his side.

"Only the really special ones," he told her in reply, and then yelped, the most undignified noise she'd ever heard, jumping away from her. "Jesus, Kate!"

She giggled, having gotten her revenge by sticking her freezing cold hands up the back of his shirt. "Doesn't feel so good, does it?"

He replied with an unrepeatable expression that made Ducky, who had just walked in with a tray of hot chocolate, shake his head in reproach. "Really, Jethro? There are children present."

"At least one," Gibbs muttered resentfully, looking over at Kate, who giggled, and stuck her tongue out at him. "Very mature, Katie."

"Uncle Gibbs! Uncle Gibbs!" the girls cried, rushing in, and throwing themselves at Gibbs, who caught them just in time.

"Tell us a story!" Elle cried.

"Please," Laura said, shooting a look at her sister that made her resemblance so much more pronounced that Gibbs had to hide a smile.

"All right, I'm sure Grandpa Ducky has some Christmas books-," he started, trying to catch Ducky's eye.

"No," Elle interrupted him.

"We want _you_ to tell us a story," Laura said.

"Ya want… me? To make up a story?"

"Yeah!" they chorused.

He froze, and looked at Kate, trying to telepathically beg, but she simply raised her eyebrows and shook her head. _Nope_ she mouthed.

He glared at her, and she simply grinned. "I'm sure Uncle Gibbs would _love_ to tell you guys a story."

"All right, c'mon, sit. One on either side." They both curled into him, looking up at him with an adoration he was used to seeing, but never could quite get used to. No one _ever_ looked upon him with fondness like kids did, and it warmed his heart. "Whaddaya want a story about?"

"Santa!" Elle said.

"Yeah! Santa… and Mrs. Claus!" Laura said.

He closed his eyes for a second, wondering exactly how two little girls had understood his entire purpose without saying a word. "Okay. Santa and Mrs. Claus. I can do that, I think."

Ducky smirked, passing out the hot chocolate, before sitting in an armchair by the fire. "Go ahead, Jethro, we all want to hear your story."

"Okay… you know the story of Santa Claus… but nobody knows that even magical people get lonely… and after many years alone at the North Pole with nobody but the elves for company… Santa was lonely. An' he decided to try and find himself a wife… somebody who wouldn' mind bein' up North, far away from everyone she knew and loved… and it would take a very special lady to do that."

"Uncle Gibbs?" Laura asked, and he looked down at her.

"Yeah, sweetheart?"

"Why can't he just magic a wife?"

"'Cause, Laura, even Santa knows that magic can't mess with love. Especially not true love."

"Shh," Elle told her.

"So Santa went lookin', and met a lotta ladies who weren't _quite_ right. Some had good jobs they wouldn't leave… or they didn't like Santa's jokes… but the worst ladies he met were the ones who didn't believe. Santa started to worry he'd never find love… he'd never stop bein' lonely… until one day he met a lady who was funny, and smart… an' she believed in him more than anyone else ever had… He didn' love her for her looks or her brains… but her belief that maybe he was a good man," he said softly, looking up and meeting Kate's eye, and the look on her face was something raw he couldn't quite place, but she clearly looked oddly saddened at the story. "An' so, she went back to the North Pole with him… where they both lived happily ever after. The end."

"Is that it?" Elle asked. "That's the whole story?"

"Hey, ya wanted me to invent a story, and this is what ya got. Not much of a storyteller… Why don't ya help Uncle Ducky?" he asked, catching a look on Kate's face. She clearly wanted to talk to him, without any little girls nearby. "If ya help him with supper, I'm sure he's got a lotta stories that are _much_ better than mine."

Ducky escorted the girls, carefully carrying their hot chocolate mugs, into the kitchen, before he turned back to Kate, who was watching him. "There's so much about you that I can't figure out," she said, shaking her head as she watched him. "Where do you come up with this stuff?"

He knew, even as she spoke, that he couldn't tell her just yet. "Big imagination."

She laughed, and then fell silent, biting her lip, the only sound breaking the silence the crackling of the fire. "Listen, Gibbs, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Bit early for a marriage proposal, isn't it, Katie?"

She laughed again, and he did too, as she curled back into his side. "Um… every year my staff and I go skiing before Christmas… a little vacation to celebrate another year. And… I want you to come with us."

"Ya want me… to come on vacation with ya?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes. I do."

Without hesitating, he nodded. "Yes. I'll come with you."


	11. Chapter 11

"And here we are!" Kate said, grinning as she unlocked the door to their rented ski lodge. Everyone followed her through the door, looking around as they dumped their bags on the floor.

"Wow," Ellie said, grinning.

"This feels like the set of a music video," Nick said, pulling off his ever-present sunglasses, as he grinned up at the large Christmas tree by the fireplace. "How the hell did we afford this?"

"Nick," Ellie hissed, gesturing at the twins, who'd walked in and were staring at the tree in awe.

"Don't ask the question, because you will _not_ like the answer," Kate told him.

"It's obvious!" Elle cried from her spot by the fireplace where she'd thrown herself onto a couch. "Santa did it for us!"

"Yeah!" Laura lit up. "It was a present from Santa for being good this year!"

"But Santa isn't-," Nick started.

"Nick!" Ellie and Tim cried at the same time, both shooting murderous glances in his direction. Nick winced. If looks could kill, he'd have been dead as a doornail, as the saying went.

"Isn't what?" Laura asked, and both Ellie and Tim crossed their arms, watching Nick as he tried to think of an excuse.

"He isn't… going to let us keep it if we don't keep being good," he said.

"Nice," Ellie said, smirking to herself.

"Hey Ellie, did you see that guy in the lobby checking you out?" Kate asked as she flipped on the lights.

"Someone was checking me out?" Ellie asked.

"Oh ew," Nick said, wrinkling his nose. "Gross."

"Oh c'mon Nick, Ellie needs to live a little," Kate said. "It's been so long since she's had any real fun."

"Well I don't exactly have the best track record…" Ellie said thoughtfully.

"Christmas is a good time for love," Kate told her teasingly.

The girls had disappeared upstairs, and Nick, who was listening to Kate and Ellie talk, simply groaned. "If the two of you are done with your Hallmark movie thing..?"

"And you!" Kate said, jabbing an accusing finger in his direction. "You almost told the twins Santa wasn't real!"

Tim shook his head, disapprovingly. "How do you sleep at night?"

"On my back. Naked. Fresh air feels nice."

Kate cringed. "Too much information."

"Not on this trip, Torres," Gibbs muttered, carrying both his and Kate's bags. "Are we goin' skiing or are we just gonna stand around admiring our rooms?"

"So impatient," Kate said, squeezing his arm as she walked past.

"The real fun is just beginnin'," Gibbs told her with a smile.

Nick pretended to vomit, and Ellie nudged his shoulder. "Don't be mean," she told him.

He held her gaze for a second longer than necessary. "Wanna ski with me, Bish?"

"Would love to. But first I need to go change into better clothes."

"Why? I like what you're wearin'."

"If you're going, you're taking the twins," Kate warned.

Nick groaned. "Seriously?"

"C'mon Nick, you're great with kids," Ellie said, grinning.

Nick just sighed. "Fine."

 **XNCISX**

They were quite the large crowd, and they'd caused quite the traffic jam at the ski rental counter. A bored-looking clerk had been taking down height and weight measurements, trying to fit people with skis, but his day had brightened immeasurably when he had seen Eleanor Bishop.

He looked her up and down before he spoke to her, "Hey there, sunshine, when did you arrive from heaven?"

"Excuse me," Nick cut in, "I don't think the twins have gotten their skis yet."

"Nick," Ellie said through her teeth. "What are you doing?"

"I'm helpin' the twins. Ya told me I was good with kids."

She turned and raised an eyebrow. "What's up with you today? You've been acting weird."

"Pffft, no I'm not." He grinned. "I'm perfectly fine. And grateful that I'm not sleeping on a couch tonight."

"That would be awkward, considering you like to sleep naked," she replied absentmindedly, and watched as he choked on his coffee, before turning to her, and smirking. "Oh and by the way, I don't need you being all overprotective."

"Please, that guy's a creep. You could do much better!"

"Oh, and you have someone in mind?" she asked, leaning against the counter.

"Uh…. No." He grimaced.

"You're awfully possessive for not actually being my boyfriend."

"Maybe I just like havin' my teammate's back, Bish. Ever think of that?"

"Sure," she said. "I just didn't believe it."

"I'm gonna help the twins," he told her, before turning away to do just that, leaving Ellie shaking her head. It was how Kate found her a moment later.

"Hey, Ellie, everything okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Nick's being weird," she told her.

"Maybe the two of you sharing the same office last week was a bad idea?" Kate asked with a half-hearted grin. "Hey, who ended up on that poor old couch?"

"Nick did. If I hadn't given it to him, he would have complained all week, so I let him have it," Ellie replied, absentmindedly.

"Right." Kate nodded. "Look, we'll meet up with you at the top of Mardi Gras okay?" she said, naming one of the taller ski hills in the valley.

"What about the twins?"

"I enrolled them in skiing lessons for the afternoon," Kate told her. "So us adults can have fun. It's my fault after all that they're here."

"No, Kate, it's not your _fault._ It's just… what happened. And it's okay. We all love the twins."

"Not Torres."

"Oh please. He's really a marshmallow."

"You would know," Kate said, before smiling at her. "I'll see you later, okay?" She picked up her skis, and walked over to join Gibbs. "Hey stranger."

He turned, and appeared to light up when he saw her. "Hey, Katie. Ready to go?"

"If you're ready, I'm ready, soldier."

"All right, Katie." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Let's go conquer a mountain."

"Oh by the way, warning you now, I'm… a little clumsy on the slopes," she told him, as they walked into the swirling snow.

"Ya said the same thing about skatin', and yet you were the most graceful thing I've ever seen."

She blushed. "Flirt."

"Minx," he countered, and when she took a mock swing at him, he managed to duck away from her, laughing. "Aw c'mon Katie, can't I flatter ya?"

"Maybe," she told him with a grin. "Come on, I've been waiting to trap you on a ski lift for weeks."

He made a face, but followed her to the ski lift all the same. "And what exactly are ya plannin' to do once ya get me alone on the lift?"

She winked. "A lady never kisses and tells."

"Oh yeah?" he asked, stepping closer, which was difficult with the awkwardness of the skis, and grinned down at her. "Is that right?"

"Yes."

"Ya know, Katie," he said, stepping away from her. "I do believe ya can talk to me."

"Oh? And what have you done to deserve my trust?" she teased.

"We did share a couch," he told her, somehow managing to keep a straight face, though she could see he was having trouble with it.

"That's true," she conceded. They made their way onto the ski lift, their skis becoming entangled in the process. She managed to pull her ski away. "Sorry."

"What have I told ya about apologizin'?" he asked.

"Not to?" she retorted. And then she surprised him by moving as close as their skis allowed, and leaning her head on his shoulder. "I finally got you alone."

"And now what do ya plan to do with me?"

"Murder you," she told him, deadpan in her delivery, and he snorted.

"Very funny."

"Oh, you thought I was joking?" she asked.

He turned, so that they were face to face. "I'll die a happy man, Katie."

She wrinkled her nose. "How sentimental."

"I'm a sentimental kinda guy."

She laughed, and then reached up, taking his face in her hands, and kissing him very softly. And then she pulled away and smiled. "That makes two of us."

"Didn't know you were a guy," he replied.

She smacked his shoulder. "Thanks. Ruin a moment much?" And then they found themselves laughing.

"Ya know, Katie," he said after a moment. "I like to pretend that I know ya, but I don't, not really."

"You know me," she told him softly.

"No. I don't. Not really. I know that ya don't really like me callin' ya Katie. I know ya own a toy store. I know ya have adorable twin nieces that ya look after. But that's about it."

She looked up at him again, watching the snow melt in his greying hair, and smiling to herself at how serious he looked. She also felt a suddenly stupid urge to kiss him again. He turned and met her eyes, an eyebrow going up at they stared at each other for a moment, and then after a few beats of silence, she smiled. "Well to start, you're completely wrong."

He laughed, a noise that filled her with happiness. Gibbs did not seem to be a man who laughed often, so the fact that she could make him laugh was something she treasured. "So set me straight."

"I don't mind being called Katie," she told him.

"Really?"

"Well," she amended her statement. "I don't mind it when it's you."

"When it's me?"

"Only when it's you," she said, the corner of her mouth turning up. "Only you."

"I'm flattered," he told her dryly, and then grinned. "And yet ya always call me Gibbs."

"Jethro feels… too intimate. And Leroy… doesn't suit you," she told him.

"Ya can call me anythin'," he told. "And intimate ain't a bad thing."

She grinned. "That's true. We did share a couch."

"So tell me more about how I'm wrong," he said, grinning.

"I never spill my secrets for anything less than the promise of dinner."

He smirked. "Well… I do believe I owe ya a thin crust pizza and a movie."

"Pizza yes, but I can take or leave the movie," she told him.

"How about tomorrow night?" he asked, as they lifted up the bar to arrive at the top of the slope. "Say… six o' clock."

"I think I can work you into my schedule," she told him with a laugh, as they descended from the lift.

And then it happened. As they were getting off the lift, their skis tangled together, and Gibbs, realizing what was happening before Kate did, wrapped his arms around her as they crashed to the ground in a flurry of snow and ski poles. Kate had the wind knocked out of her as a solid former Marine crash landed on top of her, and she found herself stunned, face to face with Gibbs.

"Whoa," she said.

"Thought the view was breath-taking," he said, grinning. "Wasn't quite what I meant."

"Are you okay?" she wheezed.

"Me? I'm great. You?"

"A little crushed," she managed. And she giggled up at him. "You have snow in your hair."

"So do you, Katie. Look like an ice princess," he teased.

"That's ice queen to you, soldier."

He managed to get off of her, before setting about reattaching his skis to his feet. She did the same thing, shaking the snow from her jacket and hair, before they heard the applause.

"Very nice," Nick said as he applauded. "I woulda yelled _cut_ but it might have ruined the magic."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Thanks Torres."

"Anytime."

"Ignore him," Tim said, as Kate and Gibbs joined them. "He's trying to cover up the fact that the same thing happened to him and Ellie before you got here."

"Lots of tangled skis around here today," Gibbs said, sharing a grin with Kate. It caught her off guard suddenly that while she hadn't planned on it, she'd developed very real feelings for the man.

"Is that a euphemism?" Ellie asked.

Gibbs grinned, then whispered to Kate. "I'd tangle skis with you any day."

"Gibbs!"

He winked at her, as the other three laughed. And with that, they were ready to go.

"Race you to the bottom, Tim," Nick teased.

"Sure," Tim pulled his ski goggles down over his eyes. "Be prepared to lose. Badly."

"You wish, Timmy. See if Delilah still loves you with a face full of snow," Nick said, before taking off.

"Watch out for ice!" Ellie called after them as Tim followed, muttering curses under his breath. "Delilah and I will never forgive you if you break your necks!"

"It's hopeless," Kate told her. "They're just going to keep competing like always."

"At least they're getting along," Ellie said, shaking her head, but she was smiling at their antics.

"Never mind the boys. Look how nice the view is!" Kate pointed out.

They could see the main lodge from the top of the hill, barely visible through the swirling snow, but lit up like a birthday cake, radiating warmth, though as the day grew darker, the amount of people on the slopes was thinning out, the snow and wind sending them back inside. And yet, Kate, Gibbs and Ellie all stood at the top of the hill, looking at the swirling snow, and the glowing lodge, all the noise muffled by the snow, absorbed by the pine trees that surrounded them, staining the air with their fresh scent.

"That's a pretty picture," Gibbs said, but he wasn't looking at the view. Or rather, he was, but a different view than Ellie and Kate saw. He was watching Kate, looking as beautiful as ever, and wondering… was it wrong that he was keeping the true reason for being with her a secret?

And when had it turned from the false start to the real feelings?

She turned, and caught him, leaving him to give her a sheepish smile. "It is a pretty picture," she agreed, understanding that he was not talking about the view.

"Are we going?" Ellie asked. "I want to find out who won the race."

"Go ahead," Kate told her. Ellie took off, and then she turned back to Gibbs. "It's nice to see the team having fun."

"Ya worry about them too much," he scolded.

"And who should I worry about, if not my team?"

"Worry about you," he said gently. "It's all I do."

"And why should I, when I have you to do it for me?"

"Well, I…" he stopped, realizing he was flustered, and she grinned, clearly enjoying the notion that she'd caught Leroy Jethro Gibbs off guard.

"It's sweet," she told him. "Having someone who worries about me."

"Katie, I'll always worry about ya," he told her. "Just want you to be happy."

"Maybe I am happy," she said softly, before kissing him again. "I'm not used to the sensation." And then laughing, she pushed off.

He stood there, watching her for a second, knowing he was in dangerous territory. His time was running out… and quickly.

But dammit, why couldn't he just tell her the truth?

 **XNCISX**

"I can't feel my fingers!" Nick complained, sitting down next to Tim in front of the fire. "Move over, Timmy!"

"Why?" Tim asked, though he did move over.

"Because I've ice powers," Nick told him, striking a pose.

"For someone who scorns geeks like me, you sure act like a geek sometimes," Tim told him.

Nick held his hands in front of the fire, his annoyance melting away into an expression of bliss. "Dunno what you mean, Timmy. I am both a gentleman and a scholar."

"If you're such a gentleman, then why did you make Ellie take the floor during the blizzard?" Tim asked.

"What? I didn't," Nick said. "Tim, but I let her have the couch. What kinda guy would I be if I made her take the floor… and what kinda guy do you think I am?"

"Sorry." Tim held his hands up in surrender, grinning as he moving his hands closer to the fire too.

"Surprised you're here, Tim," Gibbs contributed, leaning forward. The three of them were alone by the fire while the girls watched a movie upstairs.

"What do you mean?" Tim asked, frowning. "Should I… be somewhere else?"

"Nah, I just mean… did ya not end up gettin' a flight to Dubai?"

Tim's face changed, and he frowned. "I should have started looking for flights sooner, but… I'm an idiot."

"Nah, Tim," Nick clapped him on the back. "Look, I've never met your girl, but I just know she'd appreciate how hard you tried."

"I could have tried harder!" Tim protested. He shook his head. "I tried _everything_ , just to be with her for Christmas." He laughed. "This is going to sound stupid, but I was desperate…"

"What is it?" Gibbs asked, offering what he hoped was an encouraging smile. He wasn't usually a heart-to-heart kind of guy, so this was difficult for him, but he liked Tim a lot, and wanted to help.

"I got so desperate, I even asked Santa to find a way. All the religions in the world, and I begged _Santa Claus_ to help me see her for Christmas…" Tim laughed, but it fell flat.

"Y'know Tim, when adults pray…it's usually to different gods. When kids pray… their faith is in Santa. An' their faith in him… is one of the most powerful things there is. So don't think it doesn't mean somethin' that that's who ya asked for help."

Tim nodded, as Nick got up to leave. "Thank you, Gibbs." Once he was gone, Tim smiled wistfully, at Gibbs. "So… does Kate know that you're in love with her?"

"What?" he asked.

"Oh, come _on_ , Gibbs," Tim said. "All of my friends are in love with each other, but no one will actually spit it out."

"She doesn't love me, Tim."

"'Course she does, Gibbs. You just don't want to admit it to yourself. All of you idiots would be so much happier if you just told each other how you feel."

 _But how_ do _I feel?_


	12. Chapter 12

"Ugh, I feel like I'm in high school again," Ellie complained, setting down the tray of food she carried.

"Why?" Kate asked, looking up from her conversation with Gibbs.

"The trays of mediocre food… the smell of a cafeteria…"

"Now see," Torres said, as he grabbed Ellie's drink from her tray. "Ya say that, but at the same time, you have a lotta food on your tray."

She made a half-hearted swipe for the drink, and he pulled it out of her reach. "C'mon Nick, that's not funny."

"I'm not tryin' to be funny. I'm just thirsty," he told her, before taking a swig of it, and making a face. "What _is_ that?"

"It's pink lemonade mixed with Dr. Pepper," she told him, and he made a face.

"Oh."

"Can I try, Auntie Ellie?" Laura asked, and Ellie grinned.

"I don't think you want this, now that Nick's germs are on it."

"I don't have germs!"

"Why do I feel like a high school principal?" Gibbs asked Kate, who merely shook her head, grinning.

"I don't know. So how does tonight sound?"

"Tonight?" he replied, looking blank. "What's tonight?"

"Our cult sacrifice," she told him, and he grinned. "Our date, genius."

"Right. Lookin' forward to that."

"Me too. I always look forward to spending a night with my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" he asked, surprised. "Is that what I am?"

"No," she replied, deadpan. "You _are_ the cult sacrifice."

He laughed, and then they realized that the rest of the table was watching them.

Nick yawned, and opened his can of Red Bull. "Are the two of you done?"

"That stuff is terrible for you," Ellie told him.

"Sue me. I'm exhausted. The cot I've been sleeping in is terrible."

"It's not that bad," Ellie replied, absentmindedly, swiping a fry from Nick's tray. All eves turned to her, and she blinked, before appearing to realize what she'd said. "Okay, um, that didn't come out right…"

"Something to tell us, Ellie?" Kate asked, grinning.

Ellie grabbed another fry, as if trying to buy time to gather her thoughts. "I just meant I'm sure… that the couch was worse."

"Well, unlike the couch, I wouldn't mind sharin' my cot…" Nick said with a grin, pushing the rest of his fries towards Ellie. "It's _worse_ than the couch. Had a spring diggin' into my back all night. Woulda been better on the floor. Or the couch."

"You know, Torres, ya can have my bed," Gibbs offered.

"Why? Do you have somewhere else you'll be sleepin' after your date?" Nick asked, grinning as he looked between Kate and Gibbs. Kate found herself suddenly unable to meet Gibbs's eyes.

"Nah, I'm just used to sleepin' rough," Gibbs explained with a grin, apparently unflappable. "I'm a Marine, an' a tiny cot is probably better 'n ninety percent of the places I've slept over the years."

"C'mon Torres, we'd better go," Ellie said, pushing away her tray. "Before anyone gets the urge to push you down a mountain."

 **XNCISX**

 _Am I doing the right thing?_ Kate wondered to herself for what had to be the six hundredth time, as she applied her red lipstick, before looking herself over in the mirror. She was wearing a black dress and heels, determined that if they were going on a date, she would at least look nice. Earrings caught the light of her lamp, sparkling in the dim.

She knew that she was stalling, worrying about what would happen. It was all too possible that they would go on their date, and realize that they just weren't right for each other. She took a deep breath, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and opening the door. Stepping into the hallway, she looked around carefully to see if anyone else was around. She could hear the sound of the TV in Nick's room, and wondered where Tim and Nick had gotten to. She hoped Tim was okay. He'd been acting strange the past few days, and she felt it was connected in part to the fact that he was not in Dubai.

She walked down the hallway, her heels clicking on the hardwood floors, until she reached the staircase. Looking over the railing, she could see Gibbs. Though he was dressed nearly as nicely as she was, he was currently lying on the carpet, playing with the twins, the three of them clutching Barbies. She smiled to herself, watching him, before descending the stairs, clutch in hand.

Gibbs sat up, watching her walk towards him, and he looked… stunned. And then he grinned at her. "Wow, Katie…"

"Not too shabby, right?" she teased.

"You look beautiful," he said, staring up at her, before realizing that he was still sitting on the floor, holding a Barbie doll, and dropped it, before standing up with a smile, brushing himself off.

"Of all the places I was expecting to find my date, it was not on the floor… with my nieces."

"Well, I can never turn down a lady with a pretty smile," he said. "And they ganged up on me."

"Somehow I doubt that," she told him.

He held out a hand. "Shall we?"

"Aw, do you hafta go?" Elle whined.

"Yeah! We want you to play with us!"

"Girls," Kate started.

Gibbs held up a hand to stop her, before kneeling down in front of the twins. "How about this? Promise when I get back, I'll tell the two of ya a story."

"Not one of your stories, right?" Elle asked.

"Elle!" Kate said, horrified, but Gibbs just laughed, and shook his head.

"Don't worry, Elle, not one of my stories."

"You promise?" Laura asked, tossing her Barbie aside. Gibbs was somewhat pleased to see that poor decapitated Oscar wasn't around any longer.

"Yes, sweetheart, I promise. But _only_ if the two of ya behave for Tim."

"Okay," Elle said.

"But only if you promise."

"I do. But also made a promise to your auntie." Gibbs turned to Kate. "Katie?"

 **XNCISX**

"Ya know," Gibbs said conversationally when they were sitting in the restaurant, thin-crust pizza ordered. "I was sure you'd say no."

"And why is that? We're dating. It was the next logical step," she told him, smiling.

"Ah and you're all about logic, aren't ya Katie?"

"You know me too well," she replied, toasting him with her bourbon. "I thought _you_ would say no."

"To a date?"

"No, to joining the circus on this trip."

He grinned. "Katie, this ain't a circus. Should see my _job._ That makes this look like a tea party, and ya heard me before, I'm a sucker for a pretty lady." She giggled, as he continued. "But if they're all clowns, why did ya leave your nieces with them?"

"Because I trust them," she said simply.

"Why?"

"Trust me, Gibbs, the twins are probably the safest they've ever been in their lives," Kate grinned. "They're currently being babysat by not one but two former NCIS agents, and a former NSA analyst."

"Huh. Quite the coincidence," he said. "Or it would be if I believed in 'em."

"Everyone needs something to believe in," she said with a smirk, parroting his own words back at him. "And my grandfather believed in hiring ex-cops or soldiers or feds… give them a peaceful job where they wouldn't have to think about bad things… just toys for kids."

"That's a nice concept," he said. "And workin' with toys… it heals ya."

She nodded. "I know."

"Speakin' from experience… but from the sounds of it… so are you. Do ya just work there because it's your legacy, or…?" The question was implied, and she smiled.

"Well, actually, I was Secret Service."

His eyebrows went up. " _Secret Service_?"

"Did I actually just manage to surprise the unflappable Leroy Jethro Gibbs?" she asked in return, grinning. "But yes, the Presidential detail in fact."

He shook his head. "Always knew ya weren't just a pretty face."

"Never gave you reason to doubt it." She sighed.

"Much too pretty a face to look so sad," he said with a slight smile.

"I'm just worried about Tim."

"Tim?" he asked.

"He's just so… well. I'd hate to be separated from the person I was in love with… if there was such a person," she said carefully, watching him.

He smiled wanly. "It's one 'a the worst feelins' in the world, trust me, Katie-girl. Worse when it's permanent."

"I'm sorry, that's really gloomy of me. Way to go Kate, be romantic," she said, shaking her head, clearly disgusted with herself.

"Katie, it's okay," he said, reaching across the table and taking her hand. "Love isn't… it's not a forbidden subject."

"What do I know about love though?" Kate asked, laughing to herself. "I'm surrounded by people who know what real love is. I'm not even married."

"Real love?" he asked.

"Y'know… true love. That kind of schtick."

"Ya don't believe in true love?" he asked, surprised.

"Well of course I do… but I don't think I've ever experienced it."

"Maybe ya have and ya just don't know it."

"Well what does true love look like then, if you're such an expert?" she teased.

"All right," he said, looking around the restaurant before seeing the couple at the corner table, oblivious to everything else around them. They looked immeasurably happy, but Gibbs could tell that they weren't really together. "Ya said you were Secret Service, that means ya had profile trainin'. Tell me what you see."

"What am I supposed to read their facial expressions?" Kate asked, looking at the couple Gibbs was pointing at.

"Ya tell me what ya see, and then I'll tell ya all about true love. How does that sound?"

"Quite the bargain. Didn't know I had to work to earn my dinner."

"Just repayin' the favor… about six times over," he teased.

She frowned, looking them over. They were a handsome couple, though at first glance the man didn't seem especially attractive. It was something about the way he carried himself more than what was in his face. "I… what?" she asked, seeing Gibbs's face.

"When I said profile, I meant out loud," he teased gently.

She rolled her eyes, and looked at them. "They're very comfortable with each other," she said. "Not afraid to touch one another… and yet at the same time, when they get too close, they pull away like… like it's painful _not_ to touch each other…"

"And what else do ya see?"

"They both look at each other… in awe… when they think the other isn't looking…" she said, turning, just in time to see that Gibbs wasn't watching them, he was watching _her._ "And then they turn away when the other looks. Maybe they don't even realize it…"

"And?"

"And…" she paused, thinking it over as she watched the couple laugh together, hopefully unaware that they were the subject of intense scrutiny. "They're in love with each other, but neither one of them will spit it out… they can't seem to force themselves to say it."

"Why do ya think that is?" Gibbs asked.

She tucked her hair behind her ear again. "They clearly know each other very well. They could be business partners… or close friends. And they're scared. They don't want to change the relationship, worried of how it'll backfire if things don't work out."

"Bein' scared… is usually the reason a man walks away from everythin' he could ever have," Gibbs said, conversationally.

Kate turned back to him. "So tell me about this true love."

"True love is bein' completely comfortable with someone," he said. "Like that couple over there."

"The ones who won't admit to being in love?" she asked, amused.

"Katie, just because no one says anythin', doesn't mean it isn't real. Everyone needs somethin' to believe in."

"See, deep down, I always knew you were a romantic."

"I've been divorced three times," he told her. "Don't have time for romance."

"Right."

"Ya know, Katie… I like to think I know ya… but I know next to nothin'."

"So you've said before," she teased.

"I know ya like old movies… like _Casablanca_ and _Double Indemnity…_ "

"Here's lookin' at you, kid," she told him, and he grinned.

"I know that ya own a toy store that belonged to your grandfather…"

"Well, in that case, I'll fill in some of the blanks."

"Wait, I wanna guess," he told her.

"You've had profile training?" she asked.

"Nope. But back when I was NCIS, did about a thousand interviews… start to pick up on things after a while."

"Always knew you weren't just a pretty face," she told him, and grinned as he started laughing.

He shook his head. "Small town. Baby of the family… don't like bein' called Katie… except by me. Probably a lotta older brothers…"

"That's not guessing!" she interjected. "I told you I had three brothers!"

"Shh, I'm not done."

"Fine, go on," she waved a hand.

"Very smart… good sense of humor but makes terrible puns… and absolutely beautiful."

"Objection, counsellor," she said, shaking her head. "That last remark was highly subjective."

"Well, how's that old sayin' go?" Gibbs asked, stroking her cheek. "Somethin' about beauty bein'… in the eye of the beholder?"

"Your eyesight must be terrible," she told him in return, but she was smiling.

"Ya look especially good in that dress," he said, smiling. "All wrapped up like a Christmas present."

She was very tempted to voice a wish that he'd unwrap her like a Christmas present, but found that when it came down to it, she did not quite have the nerve. "Gibbs, I…" she started, her mouth dry.

"Ahem," came a voice, and Gibbs pulled away as the waiter set down their pizza. They shared a grin, before Gibbs picked up a slice.

"Very overdue," he told her. "But worth it." What he didn't tell her was that he wasn't just talking about the pizza, but meeting her. It had been a long time coming, but he wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world.

She didn't answer for a moment, too busy consuming pizza, before grinning at him. "Whoever said pizza wasn't a good date idea clearly never had the right pizza."

"Or the right date," he replied, holding her gaze for a moment longer than necessary, and she felt herself blush under his gaze. She had always felt in control, and yet around him, she always went to pieces.

"Or the right date," she agreed, instead of saying what was on her mind. Her own words came back to her then. _They're in love with each other, but neither one of them will spit it out._ How long, she wondered, was long enough to be together, before telling someone you loved them? She'd never been sure of the rules, never seeing the need to learn them when her relationships didn't last long enough for promises anyway.

"Should do it again sometime," he said, smiling.

"I'd like that."

He smiled. "It's a date."

 **XNCISX**

"Uncle Gibbs! Aunt Kate! You're back!" Elle cried, throwing herself at the two of them. Catching her between them, they shared a smile.

"Were ya thinkin' we wouldn't show up, Elle?" he asked.

Tim stood, yawning. "Good, you're back. Nick and Ellie disappeared hours."

"Probably testin' out that cot of his," Gibbs muttered, and Kate elbowed him, annoyed.  
"What?"

"No, he's probably right," Tim said.

"Here, Elle, why don't ya go up to my room, and get the book from off my night stand?" Gibbs asked.

"Sure!" she took off, followed by her sister. Gibbs could only hope that the twins wouldn't find it necessary to go digging through his possessions, and simply grab the book like they'd been instructed.

Gibbs tuned back into the conversation between Tim and Kate, which seemed to be about Ellie and Nick. "Did Nick tell you he took the couch?" Kate was asking.

"No, he told me Ellie took the couch."

"Why would he tell you that? Ellie told me _he_ took the couch." They stared at each other for a second, and then Kate shook her head. "No way."

"You never know…" Tim trailed off, frowning. "Ew. I just pictured that."

"Grow up, Tim," she said, nudging his shoulder. And then she smiled up at him. "This probably isn't how you imagined your Christmas going, and I'm sorry that you're not where you want to be."

"Not your fault, Kate," he told her, a sad smile fixed in place. "And I shouldn't complain. Other people have it worse."

"Just because other people have it worse, doesn't mean that you can't be sad because you're not going to see your girlfriend on Christmas."

"I just… I had big plans," Tim said, and Kate frowned, before realizing she had some inkling of what he meant. "And it's not even that important."

"Tim, please know that I would drain my bank account, and probably sleep with Santa himself if it meant that you and Delilah could spend Christmas together."

He smiled, a real smile, at that, and then kissed her on the forehead. "Thanks Kate."

"Hey, what are sisters for?" she teased, before pulling him into a hug, and then kissing him on the cheek. "Good night Tim."

"Night, Kate. Gibbs." He hurried upstairs.

"You'd sleep with Santa himself, huh?" Gibbs asked, smirking.

"Oh shut up," she told him crossly, as the twins flew back into the room.

"We're ready!" Elle crowed.

"This book looks _old_ ," Laura said.

"Very smart, Laura." He ruffled her hair. "It _is_ old."

"Older than you?" Elle asked.

"Actually, yeah, it is older than me," Gibbs said, sitting down on the couch, a twin snuggling in on either side of him. "An' that's saying something?"

"How old are you?" Laura asked.

"A hundred," Elle said, confidently.

"Older 'n time itself," he told her gravely. "Now shh, and listen to the story."

Kate was just as captivated as the twins, surprised in realizing that she'd found a family.

 _"Marley was dead…"_

 **XNCISX**

The two of them were crammed into the window seat, staring out at the snow falling, the lights of the ski hills seeming very far away as opposed to being on the other side of the window. The two of them were snuggled together in a bubble of warmth, huddling under blankets. Kate yawned, realizing she was near sleep, and then Gibbs spoke up. "There is one thing ya never told me."

"And what's that?"

"The twins."

She turned to look at him, his face barely visible in the dim light. "The twins?"

"How did ya end up with them?"

"It's the one story I can never bring myself to tell," she said softly. "But… we promised each other honesty."

"If ya don't-,"

"We did," she insisted. "The twins are my brother Michael's kids. Their mother died of cancer last year, and my brother… well… he found his comfort at the bottom of a bottle. My mother isn't speaking to him… my other siblings live too far away, so I'm their temporary guardian while my brother is trying to get sober." She sighed.

"Losin' a spouse is hard," he said gently. "An' it's fifty times worse when they die young." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Thank you for tellin' me, Katie."

"Gibbs…" she paused, unsure, and then went for it. "I'm completely comfortable with you." It was an _I love you,_ and it was enough.

He smiled. "'M completely comfortable with ya too, Katie."

 **XNCISX**

He yawned, rubbing at his eyes as his companion groaned beside him, pulling the blankets over herself, head just popping out from beneath the massive comforter. Gibbs grinned to himself, as she rolled over, blinking when she found herself face to face with him. There was a pause, and he watched her get her bearings.

"Mornin'," he said, conversationally.

"Too cheerful," she mumbled.

"Okay, you're not a mornin' person. Shoulda figured. Noted," he said.

"How is it you _never_ talk this much any other time, and then suddenly it's ridiculously early in the morning and suddenly you're _Chatty Cathy_?" she asked, frustrated.

"Maybe 'm happy," he retorted, too happy to be beside her to be annoyed.

"At this ungodly hour? _Why_?"

"Because. I'm with you," he told her.

She snorted, and burrowed underneath her pillow. "If you're gonna talk, go back to your own bed."

"I can't. Torres is there."

"So he was _right_ ," he heard her say, muffled by the pillow.

"Maybe, and I'm not doin' a walk of shame back to my room," he told her.

She pulled her head out from beneath the pillow, revealing a ridiculous case of bedhead. "And why should you be ashamed?"

"It looks bad. Not as bad as your hair though."

She grinned. "Why _are_ you so cheerful, Gibbs?"

He leaned over and kissed her, gently. "Wouldn't mind wakin' up next to ya… every day."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"That makes two of us… Gibbs," she replied, pulling him down to kiss her again.


	13. Chapter 13

Usually by December 22nd, Gibbs was ready for Christmas. All of his work was usually done, and the last-minute preparations were being made. The toys were all made and the list was checked… twice. Except this year, when the one job he'd needed to complete more than anything wasn't done.

'Twas three days before Christmas, and Gibbs was running out of time. With the ever-present reminder of the ticking clock, it was like the Advent calendar was a personal attack, counting down the number of days he had to get married.

So was it really any surprise that he was standing outside of Kate's apartment, sunflowers clutched in his shaking grasp, trying to work up the courage to go inside?

He held up a hand to knock, and then paused. How was he going to be able to tell her?

They hadn't (technically) even said _I love you_ yet, and sure they'd practically _lived_ together for a few days, but when it came down to it… he couldn't be sure of anything.

And why was he fooling himself into thinking that he was actually going to be able to convince Kate, who was still young and had so much life ahead of her, to give up the life she'd built to marry a man she'd known for less than a month?

Taking a deep breath, and trying to remind himself that he'd faced down much worse things, as a sniper, a Marine, a federal agent and as someone thrice divorced, he finally knocked.

The door opened, and there she was, smiling when she saw him. "Gibbs!" she cried, rushing about to embrace, and then stopping at the last second. And for good reason. She was covered in… what looked like flour. It was smeared across the apron, and coating her hands. "It's good to see you! I thought I'd finally scared you off after that vacation of ours."

"Never," he told her, stepping inside. "Brought ya flowers… but I saw ya already had… flour."

She giggled. "Did you just make a _joke_?"

"I'm a funny guy," he told, setting down the flowers on the hall table, and shrugging off his coat.

"Uncle Gibbs!" came a cry and he was almost knocked over by the force of two little girls jumping at him to hug him.

"Girls! You're covering him in flour!" Kate protested.

He was laughing though, as he ruffled their hair. "Hey girls. How are you doin'?"

"Good!" Laura said, without having to look at her mood ring, grinning a gap-toothed grin up at him, and seeing it made him smile.

"We're making cookies!"

"Mmm, what kinda cookies?" he asked.

"Gingerbread," Kate said, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek, before telling the girls, "C'mon I can't do all this work by myself. You're welcome to stick around, Gibbs, we need a taste taster."

"Gingerbread are Santa's favourite," Elle called, from her place at the counter.

"Mine too… but I can't just sit here and let the ladies do all the work. Wasn't raised that way," he told Kate, who was smiling at the sunflowers.

"Well if I see any ladies, I'll be sure to mention that to them," she told him and they exchanged a smile.

"Sorry for bargin' in on your evening," he told her.

"Don't be sorry. I'm not," she said, smiling. "I'm always happy to see you."

 _See if you're still sayin' that when I tell ya the real reason I'm here._ "Got any extra aprons?"

"A bright pink frilly one that my mother gave me," Kate told him. "You're welcome to it."

"Thank you. Where…?"

"Drawer by the stove," she told him and he nodded his thanks, making his way over to the drawer, grinning at the twins who were just as covered in flour as Kate was.

"Are the two of ya makin' cookies or wearin' em?" he asked, and they giggled at his question.

"Ignore Gibbs," Kate told them, as he pulled the apron (which was a disgusting shade of pink) over his head. "He just likes to think he's funny."

"I _am_ funny," he replied.

Her lips were twitching though as she stared at him. "Boy I wish I wasn't covered in flour right now so I could take your picture."

"Laugh all ya want," he told her, before going over to her. "Still need you to tie me up."

"Kinky," she muttered, and he glared at her, before shooting a nervous look at the twins who weren't listening.

"Katie," he hissed, looking over his shoulder, as she tied the strings of his apron for him, her hands brushing against his back, warm through the thin fabric of his shirt, and he shook his head, trying to dispel the thoughts that were not appropriate- especially when the twins were around. But maybe after they went to bed for the night…?

She stepped back. "I'm done, Gibbs. And just a warning… I got flour all over the back of your shirt."

He grinned, turning around, and reaching a cautious finger in what he thought was icing for the gingerbread. "What's this?" he asked.

"Cream cheese icing."

"Great." He swiped a finger through it, and she laughed at him.

"So unsanitary."

"Ain't for eatin'," he told her, dabbing it on the end of her nose.

She made a face. "Gross, Gibbs."

He stepped closer, looking down at her. "Admit it, ya like it."

"You smearing icing on my face?" she asked.

"Nah. Consider it revenge for the flour."

"Hmmm…" She grabbed flour off the counter, tossing a handful of it in his direction. He shook his head, sending a puff of flour in every direction as the girls laughed. Kate ran around the other side of the counter, the two of them locked in a stalemate.

He flicked a spoonful of icing in her direction, and she screamed, dodging it as she laughed. However, she overestimated it, and he managed to grab her, wrapping arms around her waist, as they laughed.

 **XNCISX**

"I knew feeding them sugar was a mistake," Kate said, curled up against Gibbs on the couch, watching the girls running around. After eating freshly-baked gingerbread cookies, Kate had somehow talked Gibbs into staying and watching _A Christmas Carol_ with them (in reality it had taken very little convincing, but he had a reputation to protect).

"Your idea," he told her, before kissing the top of her head.

"You're the experienced parent… should have warned me."

"Felt ya wouldn't listen anyway."

"That's true," she conceded, smiling.

"Shall we wrangle them into bed?"

"Nah, let them have fun," she told him.

"Wooooooooo I'm a ghost!" Elle cried, running past, covered in a bedsheet. "I am the ghost of Christmas Presents!"

"Ah!" Laura cried, brandishing a foam sword. "I'll stick this sword in you!"

"You can't _stick_ a sword in _me_!" Elle cried indignantly from beneath her bedsheet. "I'm a ghost!"

Laura took off, clearly looking for a better weapon, as Elle walked over to where Kate and Gibbs were sitting. "Woooooo I'm a ghost!"

"Very scary! Protect me, Kate!" Gibbs said, and Kate simply snuggled in closer, looked him in the eye and grinned.

"You're on your own, soldier."

"Betrayal!" he cried, clutching his chest.

Elle giggled, and he blinked in faux astonishment.

"Aw jeez… it's a little girl ghost, they're the scariest of all! Save me, Katie!"

"I'll save you, Uncle Gibbs!" Laura yelled, running back in, and Kate collapsed into hysterical laughter as she walloped her sister with her pillow. Elle hit the ground, laughing, and then as Laura kept walloping her, Gibbs intervened, scooping her up in his arms.

"I'm gonna get you!" he cried, and she started giggling as he tickled her, and soon it was Elle's turn to hit Gibbs with a pillow.

"Not fair!" Laura shrieked, and then she too was hitting Gibbs with a pillow until she was dotted on the head with an ugly throw pillow.

"I'm here for backup," Kate told him, pulling him off the couch, with a grin.

He looked down at her, face flushed, and eyes lit up, and he knew: God help him, he loved her. "Left it a little late, didn't ya?"

"Leave no man behind. I came back, didn't I?"

"An' I'm not complaining… odds are a little more even now."

She grinned, holding her pillow out as the girls approached. "I'm smacking anyone who gets too close!"

"Rarrrr!" Laura cried, rushing at her with the pillow, and Kate scooped her up. "We have your sister!" she told Elle.

"Surrender now and nobody gets hurt!" Gibbs added.

"You don't scare me!" Elle cried, tossing her pillow at Gibbs.

He managed to duck. "Shots fired!" he called to Kate, before dropping his pillow.

"Gibbs?" Kate asked, turning to him, still laughing, as she set Laura down. "What are you doing?"

"This," he told her simply, before pulling her into a kiss.

"Ew…" Ellie whispered.

"Gross," Laura agreed.

And then Gibbs pulled away and turned to the girls. "Attack!"

"That's just evil!" Kate cried, before laughing as Gibbs pulled her against him, tickling her mercilessly. The girls were smacking her with their pillows and squirm as she might, she couldn't escape from Gibbs. "You- ah, stop that tickles!"

Her sides hurt from laughing too hard, and she knew even as she laughed that if this was her family unit now, it was something she felt she could handle. "Say uncle!" he said.

"No! I won't- _Ah!_ Gibbs!"

"Say uncle," he told her again.

"Jesus, Gibbs!" She finally managed to twist away from him, and was immediately sent crashing to the ground when she was tackled by the twins, each of them giggling, Elle having donned her bedsheet again.

Gibbs stood over her, grinning down at her. "Shoulda known when to quit."

"I never know when to quit," she told him from the floor. "One of my many good qualities."

"Ya do have a lotta those," he agreed.

They grinned at each other for a second, and then he whistled. "Hey! Twins!"

They both looked up. "What?" Elle asked, climbing off of Kate, who was giggling to herself.

"How about we go back to sittin' on the couch… _quietly._ And I'll read you another story. Okay?"

"Fine," Elle said, frowning.

"Okay," Laura agreed.

"Just as long as it's not one of your stories," Elle told him, wrapping her bedsheet around herself, as she climbed onto the couch. They left room for Gibbs in the middle, but first he offered Kate a hand.

"You okay?" he asked.

She dusted herself off. "I've had worse."

"Gotcha. Don't wear yourself out," he told her, running a finger down her cheek.

"I won't," she said.

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"I won't!" she insisted.

Grabbing a tattered red book off the coffee table, he sat down between the twins, assuming a familiar position. "Now listen… I know it's not exactly the right day… but I figured it's close enough."

"C'mon Uncle Gibbs, read it to us!" Laura said. At a look from her aunt, she asked, "Please?"

"All right, all right." He looked over to where Kate was lying on the floor, leaning on a pillow and watching him, looking like a girl at a sleepover, listening to a friend tell a story. "Let's see… how does this story start?"

"Once upon a time?" Elle suggested.

"Nope. Nope, not once upon a time. Here, how about I read it?"

"Please do," Laura said.

He cleared his throat. " _T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."_

"Was it Mickey Mouse?" Laura asked.

"No, it wasn't Mickey Mouse."

"Why not?" Elle asked.

"Because," Kate said. "He lives at Disney World."

"Right," Elle nodded. "Can we go to Disney World, Auntie Kate?"

"Someday."

"Soon?" Laura asked.

"Sure, sweetie." Kate smiled.

"Ahem." Gibbs glared at them. _"The stockins' were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that Saint. Nicholas soon would be there..."_

 **XNCISX**

"Dunno about visions of sugarplums," he whispered to Kate, closing the door. "But hopefully they're nice an' tired after all that activity."

"Nice choice for the story. I'm glad they still believe in Santa…" She shook her head as she said it. "Almost makes me wish I still believed, you know?"

"Yeah," he said, as she walked back over to the couch, collapsing onto it in a tired heap.

"Surely you had better things to do with your evening," she told him.

"Nah." He shook his head. "Somethin' more fun than this?"

"My employees are all out tonight. You should be too."

"I came because I just happened…"

"To be in the neighborhood?" she asked. "You've tried that line on me before."

"Yeah, and how's it workin'?"

"Not well. Need to be a little more original to woo me."

"Who said anythin' about wooin'?" he asked, offended. "Thought we were past that."

"We've barely dated for… what, two weeks? Although you did bring me flowers…" Kate grinned. "Not exactly expecting you to propose."

 _This is your chance, Marine. Tell her._

"Did the girls ever end up meetin' Santa?" he asked instead.

"No… guess I should be grateful. Hard to pretend around them sometimes."

"So magic… Santa… not your forte?"

"You know I don't believe, so why ask?" she said, looking up at him.

He took a deep breath. When he'd explained it to Ducky, he'd had nothing to prove that his story was true, except a magic snow globe. With Kate, all he had was words. Speaking honestly, as a functional mute, he was doomed. "Do ya remember how the snow just seemed to start… the first time I came to your toy store?"

"Yeah…?"

"And those gifts, how they just… appeared at Ducky's party?"

"Yes, and I knew it was you, Gibbs. Still no logical explanation on why, but I knew it was you." She smiled. "Why?"

"Katie, there's somethin' I need to tell ya."

"You're married," she said promptly.

"Wha- No. Not married." He took a deep breath. "Katie, I'm Santa Claus."

She blinked. "What?"

"I'm Santa."

She shook her head, smirking. "All right Gibbs, very funny, good joke."

"No, no, I'm not jokin', okay? It's real. The North Pole, gifts, elves, the magic, the sleigh bell-,"

She was shaking her head again, no longer smiling. "Gibbs, I-,"

"Trust me. Please."

She stood. "Gibbs, is there a reason you're making fun of me?"

"I'm not. Katie, I'm serious. _I'm Santa Claus_."

"I told you something very personal about my childhood, and now you're using it to hurt me, and I don't get _why-_ ,"

"Katie, wait-,"

"You need to leave," she told him. "Now."

He did without arguing, and he swore he heard her sob as the door slammed. As he walked away, Gibbs knew in his heart he'd run out of time. Yet he couldn't find it in himself to blame Katie.

It was his own fault, and he was truly out of time to make things right.


	14. Chapter 14

Though he probably should have been paying attention to his packing, he was instead stuffing clothing into his go bag indiscriminately. _What did it matter anyway?_

Christmas Eve, usually a night of great joy and anticipation, where people attended candlelit church services and spent time with loved ones, and here he was, packing to go back to a life of silent solitude. He knew he'd be back soon enough, and his mind wasn't on his task, it was on Kate.

He shouldn't have waited so long.

He should have been honest.

All of the "should haves" in the world wouldn't bring her back, or make her believe what he was telling her, and while it broke his heart, he knew he couldn't do anything.

"Jethro...?"

He looked up from his packing to find Ducky staring at him. "Hey Duck," he said softly.

"You're going back then? To the Pole?"

"Yeah. Figured I can't do much from here."

"So… you've given up the ghost then?" Ducky asked.

He tossed the shirt he was balling up back onto the bed. "Do ya have a better plan, Duck?" he asked, frustrated. "'M tryin' to pack up so that I can go home and tell all of my elves that I can't guarantee they still have jobs after tomorrow, an' on top of that, I can't find my sweater!"

"Which sweater?" Ducky asked, instead of pointing out that Gibbs was being needlessly dramatic, even if the situation did warrant some level of drama.

"Marines," he replied, pulling back the rumple quilt. He'd spent the past two nights tossing and turning, cursing himself for not acting sooner. It was his own damn fault, and yet… _and yet…_ he had an ache in his chest that didn't ever seem to go away.

"I do believe you loaned that one to Caitlin," Ducky said levelly, and Gibbs tensed, trying to ignore the wave of feelings that crashed over him, and the sharpening of the ache in his chest. There was a Kate-shaped bruise on his heart.

"Right. Don't need it anyway," he said, before zipping up his duffel bag. "Duck… why did ya believe me?"

"Because, Jethro, sometimes the most important things in the world… are those that we cannot see."

"Thank you," he told him seriously. "I gotta go. I don't have any magic left, but… think I got one last Christmas in me."

"Jethro… surely there is something you can do-,"

"I'm outta time, Duck. I hurt the woman I love, and I'm gonna lose the best job I ever had. So I'll make this the best Christmas I can." He started towards the door. "For everyone I can."

"Well, Jethro, I suppose I cannot convince you otherwise," Ducky said as they stood in the doorway.

"All ya can do, Duck, is have a merry Christmas. An' try and act surprised tomorrow… your granddaughter asked for a baby brother."

Ducky smiled, surprised. "Really?"

"Least I could do."

Ducky saluted his old friend. "Godspeed, Jethro."

 **XNCISX**

It was Christmas Eve, and where was Kate? Sitting in the store, on the last shift of the Christmas season, with Tim, watching the snow swirling beyond the gold-trimmed windows.

"We're out of Christmas Barbie dolls, a lightbulb in the security office burned out, the twins used most of our stickers on each other… and the bell on the door isn't working," Tim was saying, and she had to make an effort to pay attention to him. It was like a humming in the background, everything muted because of what had happened only two days before.

"Well," she toasted him with her coffee. "Another successful year, I'd say."

"Yeah." She could see by the look on Tim's face that they were both somewhere far away. Her thoughts were with Gibbs – the bastard – wherever he may be, and Tim's thoughts were in Dubai with Delilah. Both of them hadn't gotten what they wanted for Christmas. "Christmas is supposed to be the time of love," Tim said absentmindedly. "And yet all I feel is hollow."

"Don't go into poetry, Gemcity," she said with a well-deserved eyeroll. And yet… _and yet…_ she knew exactly how Tim felt. Both of them empty inside, wishing that there was someone else there.

"So who's watching the twins? I thought they'd come to work with you."

"No." She sighed. "I couldn't handle it tonight. I'm having a hard enough time focusing. But look, Tim, the store's dead. You don't have to stay the whole shift. Go home. It's Christmas Eve."

"Leave no man behind," he told her. She was hit with a fresh wave of grief, thinking of Gibbs saying that. It was just a silly infatuation, she told herself. Probably didn't mean anything to him. She'd profiled him… and he seemed to think he was telling her the truth when he'd told her he was Santa Claus. It didn't make it any easier. "And besides… I don't want to go back to my apartment and be alone on Christmas Eve. It's pathetic."

"Love hurts," she muttered. "So no exciting plans for after your shift?"

"Uh, let's see… I'm gonna go home and play video games until I don't feel anything… then I'll go to bed and hopefully sleep right up until Delilah calls."

"At least you get to talk to her," she said, trying to be positive.

"Yippee," he muttered. "I get to see her face on a screen instead of waking up beside her."

"At least you have her," she replied sharply.

None of the team had asked about Gibbs, beyond inquiring if she was okay when she'd mentioned that they'd broken up. Well, that wasn't strictly true. Ellie, Nick and Tim had all offered to go beat the crap out of him, but she'd declined. She just never wanted to see him again (so she told herself anyway). "What about you?" Tim asked gently.

She snorted. "I'm gonna pick up the twins from Abby's, and read them _The Night Before Christmas,_ tuck them into bed, and then curl up with a bottle of wine and _It's a Wonderful Life,_ before crying myself to sleep. There might be ice cream involved too."

Tim gave her a sad smile. "Pathetic, aren't we?"

"Absolutely. Want to come keep me company?" she asked, half-joking.

"And sacrifice my video games? Sure. Don't know how much of a happy face I can keep up with the twins."

"Tim?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

He was confused. "For what?"

"Being your last resort."

His smiled turned into a genuine one, as he picked up the crossword he'd been working on off and on all night. "Leave no man behind," he said again, and it hurt less the second time she heard it. She reached over, kissing him on the cheek, and he grinned at her.

"Thank you, Tim."

"What are friends for?" Tim asked, before getting absorbed in his crossword, as Kate doodled on a scrap of newspaper.

Somehow the drawing she kept coming back to was Gibbs' profile, and a drawing of a sleigh bell. Had she been too harsh, breaking up with him? She truly hoped not. It wasn't fair to either of them, and thinking of it brought a pain to her chest, like her heart had been stepped on. She felt as if she'd been walking in a dream for the past two days, unsure of anything that was going on. And yet Tim was beside her, solid and steady as always. There was a reason that he was her best friend.

Tim was so focused on his crossword, that he didn't hear the click of the front door of the shop, but Kate, who'd been significantly less tuned out to the real world, did. She looked up, and her mouth fell open in surprise, her hand going up to alert Tim to their visitor, unable to believe what her eyes were seeing.

Delilah was standing in Kate's toy store, not halfway around the world in Dubai. She looked travelworn, but smiled at Kate's reaction, before holding a finger to her lips. Somehow, miraculously, she was _here._

Kate looked between her and Tim, biting her lip as she watched what was clearly about to happen. Her heart felt as if it would burst, so happy was she for Tim in that moment, and he hadn't even _realized_ what was happening.

Delilah took a deep breath, before walking up to the counter. Tim was looking at his crossword, still oblivious to the fact that his girlfriend and the love of his life was walking towards him. And then she leaned against the counter. "What's a five letting word for a greeting?" she asked.

"Hello," he said absentmindedly, and Kate watched as he froze. She bit back a smile as he looked up, absolute shock and pure joy all over his face. He'd recognize that voice anywhere. It was always like that with soulmates, Kate found.

"Hi," she told him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She was breath-takingly beautiful. Kate had already known that. But seeing her here, in the flesh… was completely different.

It seemed to have finally sunk in for Tim, who dropped his crossword, vaulting over the counter, and pulling her into a tight hug. "Delilah," he said softly, as if unable to believe that she was really in his arms. "Oh, Dee!"

She pulled away. "Merry Christmas, Tim."

He pulled her into a very fierce kiss, and Kate looked away, not wanting to intrude on their moment. She started staring at her watch as the kiss went on and on and on. Finally she'd had enough. "Ahem."

Tim and Delilah broke apart, and the looks on their faces could only be described as true, boundless love. "Hello Dee," he said gently.

"Hi." And then she turned to Kate. "Do you want a kiss too?" she teased.

"I'm okay." Kate stepped around the counter, preferring that to hopping like Tim had, and then pulled Delilah into a tight hug. "It's so good to see you."

"It's a miracle," Tim said hoarsely, which made Dee and Kate exchange a look. He sounded on the verge of tears. It was kind of cute to see him choke up at seeing Delilah. _What I wouldn't give for a love like that,_ Kate thought to herself. _But how…?_

"How did you manage it?" she asked her, pulling away. She had to marvel at Delilah's will.

"Well, I called the airlines a few days ago, trying to get _any_ flight I could," Delilah explained as she stepped back, Tim wrapping an arm around her waist, giving her an adoring look. "And they said if anyone cancelled, they'd give me a call." She turned to Tim. "I didn't want to get your hopes up, so I didn't tell you. I'm sorry."

"I guess we need to work on our communication." He took a deep breath. "It's a miracle, Dee. Someone out there is really lookin' out for us."

"Maybe it's Santa," Dee told him teasingly. "He somehow figured out that the only thing I wanted for Christmas was to see my boyfriend… that's you by the way."

"I'll never complain," he told her.

"Actually that's part one of my surprise. The other part… is that in January I'm moving back to the States. They promote me to team leader."

"What?" Tim and Kate asked at the same time.

"Well, you know… cyberterrorism isn't going away… so my job isn't either. I have citizens to protect. But… since they've discovered that most of the threat is at home now… I will be too."

"You're gonna be here… in DC?" Tim repeated, looking like he was going to faint.

"Yep. Higher security clearance which means more secrets."

"I can handle secrets," he told her. "I just don't want to have to handle you being a world away."

"I won't be anymore. I promise, Tim. You're not getting rid of me."

"Dee, that's amazing!" Tim surprised her, by picking her up and swinging her around, both of them laughing. "I'm so happy for you!"

"For us, you mean," she warned when he sat her back down.

"I had nothing to do with it, this was all you!" he protested.

"Why do I hear merriment out here?" came a voice from the security office, as Torres and Ellie stepped into the main store, both of them staring in surprise when they saw the scene in front of them. Kate was surprised to see that they were holding hands as they walked out.

"Delilah?" Ellie asked.

Delilah grinned at her. "Surprise."

"It's so- but _how_?"

"Last minute cancellation meant I had a seat on the last flight out of Dubai for the holidays. I got lucky. As Tim keeps saying, it's a miracle."

"Wait. Hold up," Nick said, detaching himself from Ellie for a second. "This is the girl you've all been going gaga over?"

"And you are…?" Delilah asked, looking more amused than offended.

"Nicholas Torres," he said, holding out a hand. She shook it as he continued. "Security."

"Delilah Fielding, Department of Defense. And Tim's girlfriend."

"You _are_ the chick that has everyone nutty," Nick said with a grin. "You're cute, I gotta say, but don't worry, you're not my type."

"And what exactly _is_ your type?" Delilah asked.

He grinned at Ellie. "Blondes."

"About time," Kate muttered.

"What was that, Kate?"

"I said _about freakin' time,_ Nick. You left pretty late though."

"Why be single over the holidays?" Nick asked with a grin, and then watched Kate grimace. "Dammit. Sorry boss, I didn't mean-,"

"It's fine, Torres. It doesn't matter," Kate said. "I'm doing okay."

"You sure?" Ellie asked. "We can still go beat him up."

"Ooh, who are we beating up?" Delilah asked, interested. "Because I'm in."

"You want to help us beat up Kate's ex?" Tim asked, turning to her in surprise.

"I mean, it's not my ideal way to spend Christmas Eve," she said.

"Okay," Kate said as she stepped in. "Tim, you should go home."

"Kate, sorry about our plans," Tim started.

"Tim." She put her hands on his shoulders. "If you don't take advantage of the fact that your girlfriend who you were willing to hijack a plane to see for Christmas, is _here_ in DC, then you don't deserve her, and I will take her off your hands."

"I second that," Delilah told him. When he gave her an offended look, she kissed the tip of his nose. "What's so important about this Christmas anyway?" she asked.

"It's a surprise," he told her. "Let's just say you'll like your gift this year."

"Tim, we agreed, it _can't_ be extravagant. I don't care how much your books are making this year-,"

"Dee," he cut her off. "You'll love it."

"Not as much as I love you," she told him.

Watching their miraculous reunion, Kate realized that there was only one person who could've brought them back together. A person Tim had asked specifically for a miracle.

 _Santa._

 **XNCISX**

"Boss! You're back!" Tony called out, running over. "Cutting it a bit close, you know-,"

"Tony," Gibbs said, cutting him off.

Ziva had run up too when she'd heard what was going on, and stopped in her tracks when she saw that Gibbs was alone. "Gibbs, what is going-?"

"It's over, Ziver. It's not happening. I couldn't do it. I screwed up." He dropped his bag on the ground. "Had one job this year and I couldn't even do that."

"You didn't find a wife?"

"Oh I found one," he said, shaking his head. "But she didn't find me back."

"Gibbs, I am so sorry-,"

"No, Ziver," he said, walking over to her and touching her face. "I'm sorry for lettin' ya down. Ya deserve better. Both of ya do."

Tony and Ziva exchanged a look. "Boss, listen," Tony started. "We can fix this, there's gotta be _something_ we can do."

"It's over, Tony!" Gibbs snapped. And then he wilted, sitting in his office chair, the one from which a thousand decisions had been launched, a million names checked every day. The thought that it would all be gone soon, and that it was all his fault, made him blanch. "I'm sorry."

"Gibbs," Ziva leaned against the desk as she spoke. "You don't have to apologize."

"Yeah, boss, you gotta rule about apologizing, remember?"

"I'm not even sorry I couldn't do it to save my ass… but for your sake. I couldn't save ya, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't do more."

"Well, I guess one good thing came out of this nightmare," Tony said, wrapping an arm around Ziva.

"Ah," Gibbs said sarcastically. "Ya got married and didn't tell me."

"Not married," Tony said. "I'm still too much of a commitment-phobe for that."

"We are together though," Ziva said.

"I leave for a month and the whole Pole goes crazy."

"Boss listen, I know you've got rule 12-,"

"What does it matter, Tony?" Gibbs asked gently. "As of tomorrow, it doesn't matter anyway. The Pole ceases to exist, the elves lose their jobs and I lose the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"So what are we gonna do?"

Gibbs stood up from his chair. "Are all the presents here?"

"Yes, of course," Ziva said.

"And the sleigh is ready?"

"Yep. Had high hopes for you, boss."

"Good. Listen. I can't save the two of ya… I can't make up for my mistakes, but I _can_ go out there and have one last final ride. If Santa stops existing tomorrow, then I'll do my best tonight."

"It's all you can do. Awaiting orders, boss," Tony said, giving him a genuine salute.

"Get the sleigh ready, Tony. Ziva, gather the elves… I gotta talk to them."

"Are you out of magic?" Tony asked, as Ziva took off.

Gibbs grinned. "Went towards a good cause, Tony. But yeah."

"Was she special, Gibbs? Your almost-wife?"

"Oh yeah. She deserved better though. Now c'mon, we got Christmas presents to deliver!"

 **XNCISX**

Kate knew it probably wasn't seen as a polite thing to do to be pounding a fist against Ducky's door so late at night, in the middle of a snowstorm, but she could only hope that Gibbs was still there, that maybe he could explain to her just how he had managed to get Delilah home in this weather, from Dubai.

Unless he really was Santa, and at this point, she had a sinking feeling in her gut that maybe he'd been telling her the truth after all.

Ducky opened the door. "Caitlin! What are you doing here?"

"Is Gibbs here?" she asked, and he must have seen the desperation on her face.

"I'm afraid you missed him, Caitlin. He left a few hours ago."

"Dammit," she said, feeling as though she would cry. She'd thought she'd cried out all the tears she'd had before when they had broken up, but her eyes welled up again.

"Come inside, and warm up," Ducky told her. "You must be nearly frozen."

"Ducky… is Gibbs Santa Claus?" she asked him, following him in and standing in front of the fire, trying to thaw her frozen hands. She hadn't grabbed gloves before leaving the store, so intent was she on reaching Gibbs in time.

He turned to her, and saw the look on her face. "My dear… he told you who he was."

"And I didn't believe him," she said, shaking her head. "I don't know what to believe… but he's clearly told you the same tale."

"Caitlin, I have seen and heard of many, many strange and unbelievable things in my lifetime. His story… had a ring of truth to it. And he brought me proof. Here." He took an antique snow globe from the mantel, where a single stocking hung, handing it to her. "Look at this."

As she held the snow globe, she could have sworn that it warm in her hands. She looked into it, her eyes widening at what she saw. The snow was swirling about in the globe, despite Ducky not having shaken it at all, and as she watched, the snow cleared and Santa himself appeared out of nowhere, landing on the roof, before disappearing. She felt her eyes fill with tears, and a smile appeared involuntarily on her face. "It's…" she said, looking up at him.

He smiled back at her. "My dear, seeing isn't believing; believing is seeing."

She wiped at her face, frantically. "Ducky… do I believe?"

"Try the sleigh bell, Caitlin," Ducky said, and she remembered then that she'd been carrying it around for days, trying to process the impossible notion that Gibbs was Santa. She pulled it from her pocket, staring at it.

And then she lifted it to her ear, shaking it. Her eyes widened as she heard the bell for the first time; a clear high note among all the noise. Her eyes filled with tears. "I believe!"

Ducky smiled. "Then let's see about getting you to the North Pole."


	15. Chapter 15

He was staring, he knew, looking out at the crowd of elves that had placed their trust in him. He could see the sorrow written on their faces, stamped into their body language, and he knew he'd let them down. It was his fault that Christmas would soon cease to exist, but even as he stumbled his way through an apology, he knew that they wouldn't blame him.

And somehow, that made it worse.

He deserved their ire, their wrath at him being unable to complete his sole task for the month of December. He'd had to find a wife to save Christmas, and he thought he had, but in the end, here he was, begging forgiveness that he didn't deserve.

But looking out at the crowds, he knew he had one final trick left in him. "However," he continued, coming out of the fog his head had been lost in. "I'm still gonna deliver gifts tonight. I'm… 'M only sorry that I couldn't do more to help. This is our one last ride together, so… let's make it the best Christmas they've ever seen. Because all of ya are good… and my fifth rule is ya don't waste good. An' uh… thank you."

He turned to Tony, who had been standing behind him, a sad look on his face. "Tony, why are ya lookin' at me like I'm dying?"

"The rest of the elves are all making their final plans," Tony said. "But you haven't said what you're going to do, boss."

"I'm the captain, Tony, An' by the looks of it, I'm goin' down with my ship. Can you an' Ziva come into the office with me?"

"Sure boss." Tony gestured to Ziva, who started wading her way through the crowds to join the two of them at the top of the stairs.

"What is going on?" she asked. "It is getting late, Santa, and you do not have much time."

"It's the most magical night of the year," Gibbs told them. "Or so they say."

"They do appear to say that, yes," Tony agreed.

"An' yet here we are," he said, stepping behind his desk and looking across it at his second in command, and at Ziva. "The two of ya deserved a better endin' than this."

"Boss, we're not going anywhere," Tony told him. "If you're going down with the ship, we will too."

"Is that right?" he asked, smirking.

"Well yeah, boss, you think we're just going to abandon you?"

"An' what are ya gonna do this time tomorrow when the North Pole is gone?" Gibbs asked. "Follow me back to DC?"

"You are going to DC?" Ziva asked, surprised.

"That was my plan." _Maybe then he could reconcile with Kate._

 _Too little, too late, Marine._ "We will come with you," she told him.

"I'm with Ziva on this one, boss."

"And what, we're all gonna get an apartment together and live happily ever after?" Gibbs asked, shaking his head derisively. "No. The two of ya should get goin' before this place… vanishes. After it's gone, I dunno what I'll do. But the two of ya deserve a fresh start somewhere else."

"What is that you always say, boss? Leave no man behind?" Tony asked innocently, and Gibbs winced at the reminder. He'd said it to Tim and Kate, and the memory still lingered, the heartache hitting him fresh once more. "We're not going anywhere."

Gibbs opened his mouth to argue, but then shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Tony and Ziva exchanged a smile. "Sorry, boss, that felt a little too easy. What do you have planned?"

"Nothin'. Just saw I wasn't talkin' ya outta it," he told them, before glancing in the mirror. He was solid, yes, but nowhere near his usual weight, and he was clean-shaven. He only hoped that no child would wait up to see Santa that night, or they would be in for an unpleasant surprise. "An' figured if you two wingnuts are so intent on stickin' around, then the least I could do is let ya."

"Okay."

"You should get ready to go, Gibbs," Ziva said.

"Okay. Is the sleigh all ready?"

"Yep," Tony said, hurrying over and opening the door to Gibbs's office for him. "Your car awaits, sir."

Gibbs gave him a look that made Tony wince, and then stopped in his tracks. What was he doing, mocking Tony when in mere hours he'd be the one responsible for his unemployment? Instead of further deriding his second in command, he simply nodded at him. "Thank you, Tony."

"Welcome, boss… Gibbs. You're welcome Gibbs."

"And Ziver." He touched her face, as she smiled, trying not to cry. And then he pulled her into a hug. "Whatever happens tonight," he started.

"It's okay boss, we get it. Now let's get you ready to go." Tony and Ziva both followed him down the stairs and into the silent workshop.

It was completely empty of elves, so silent that Gibbs could hear every one of his footsteps. It had been less than ten years, and yet he had thousands of memories of the workshop, usually bustling and filled with holiday cheer. He had come to the North Pole, seeking to atone for everything. He thought he had.

So why was it all unraveling in one night?

He didn't even have a life in DC to go back to once it was all over. As he walked through the workshop, inhaling the mixed scents of baking gingerbread and pine, he knew he'd never find a home like that one. Stopping at a workbench, his sense of loss overwhelmed him. However hard he tried to stay positive, knowing he'd rebuilt his life from the ground up once already, all hope seemed gone.

He was staring, before realizing it was a broken Ken doll, which made him think of the twins' headless doll, and just like that he was overwhelmed by the memories he'd tried to repress.

Kate.

He looked up, down the hallway to the stable, and then did a double take.

He had to be imagining it. He had been thinking of Kate, and wishing that she was at the North Pole… that had to be the reason why it seemed like she was walking towards him.

He put a hand on the workbench, trying to steady himself, feeling suddenly like he couldn't take a deep breath, as she got closer. She had the twins with her and Ducky too. She took a few more steps, and then broke into a run, jumping at him in a hug, before kissing him, knocking him into the workbench.

She finally moved away, breathless, after a few seconds, and smiled up at him. "Hi Gibbs," she said shyly, before holding up the sleigh bell he'd given her, and ringing it.

"You believe," he said.

"I believe," she told him, a tear running down her cheek. "I believe in you."

"Katie…" He pulled her into another kiss, before thinking of another question. "What are ya doin' here?"

"I came because I should have believed you," she said, stepping back, and he looking her over, taking her in, wanting nothing more than to gather her in his arms and walk away from every single one of his responsibilities. "I should have trusted you, Gibbs. I'm sorry."

"No, no, Katie, don't apologize."

"Because it's a rule?" she asked, half-heartedly.

"No," he said firmly. "Because ya got nothin' to apologize for. It's me who should be sayin' sorry. I should have been upfront with ya… because I promised you honesty, and I betrayed your trust." He looked over at Ducky, who simply smiled back at him, and he shook his head as he turned back to Kate. "What made ya change your mind?"

"There's only one person I could think of that could bring Delilah back from Dubai… There is one thing I don't get though."

He rolled his eyes, smirking at her. "Always needin' a logical explanation. Okay, Katie, what is it?"

"I thought you said you couldn't meddle with true love," she said, biting her lip. "And it's been bugging me… the fact that you could bring Delilah home… does it mean…?" Words failed her.

"Ya think it means that what they have isn't true love," he said, filling in the blanks.

She nodded. "Yeah, that about sums it up."

"Well, Katie," he said with a smile. "The good news is that what they have _is_ true love. Said I couldn't meddle in affairs of true love… didn't say I couldn't help it when it's already there."

"Oh," she said. She nodded to herself. "That makes a lot of sense."

"And Ducky?" he asked, turning to him and the twins.

"My dear fellow, you worked so hard to make everyone else happy this Christmas… and it is a season for joy… the two of you deserve to be happy."

"After Delilah showed up at the store, I just… I somehow knew you were behind it. So I went straight to Ducky's, but… you'd already left."

"So ya followed me here?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Ya came back," he said, cupping her face in his hands.

"I came back," she agreed. "Leave no man behind."

"That's what they all tell me," he murmured, leaning in, wanting so terribly to kiss her again, even if it was in front of Ducky and the twins.

"Boss! Oh… sorry."

The two of them pulled apart like they'd been burned, and Kate was a faint shade of pink. Tony was staring between the two of them, smirking. "What is it, Tony?"

"Ziva sent me to tell you that the sleigh is all ready. Who's this cutie?" he asked, looking at Kate.

"Tony," he said in a warning voice, before gesturing between them. "Tony, this is Kate."

"Kate… very nice," he said. "I'm Anthony, my friends call me Tony, which backwards is y-not."

"My friends call me Kate," she replied. "Or they would, if I had any friends."

"Boss, did your lady friend just make a movie reference?" Tony asked, grinning at her. "I like her already!"

"Hands off, Anthony," Ducky told him.

He blinked. "Ducky! It's been forever- who are these two?" he asked, noticing the twins for the first time. "Boss, is there somethin' you wanna tell me?"

"Tony, meet Laura and Elle, they're Kate's nieces."

"Wow. Went lookin' for a lady and got the package deal."

"Bought one, got one free," Gibbs said, shrugging. "Katie, you okay?"

"Fine, Gibbs. I'm fine," she smiled. "Uh, but don't you have presents to deliver? Getting awfully late."

"Yeah, yeah, uh… Tony, we gotta go," he said, starting to walk away.

"Wait, boss, no. Aren't you forgetting something?" Tony asked.

He turned back around. "Like what?"

"Boss, you gotta get married," Tony told him.

" _What_?" Kate and the twins asked at the same time.

Tony shot him a look. "You didn't _tell_ her?"

"Rich, comin' from _you,_ " he retorted.

"Sorry," Kate said. "I think I'm missing something."

"Katie, ignore him. It doesn't matter."

"No, boss, it doesn't matter. Kate, Gibbs – or as we up here call him, Santa – needs to get married by Christmas Day, or Christmas as we know it kinda ceases to exist! So yeah, boss, I'd say you're missing something!"

Kate turned to Gibbs, speechless, and then found words. "So… all the coffee and the ski trip and the flowers… was just because you needed a wife. Is that right?"

"No," he said softly.

"No?" she asked.

He sighed. "Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes. But… we don't gotta get married."

"But Tony said-," she started.

"I don't care what Tony said." He'd made up his mind.

"But Gibbs, you'll… you'll stop being Santa!" she protested.

"'M not gonna force you into doin' anything. Ya don't have to marry me. As long as you're happy, Katie… it don't matter what happens to me."

"You'd give up being Santa Claus for… for _me_? Why?" she asked.

"Because I love you, Katie."

"You love me?" she asked, eyes filling up with tears.

"Yes. I do. I love you."

She smiled. "I love you too, Gibbs."

"Uncle Gibbs!" Laura was tugging at his jacket, and he turned to look at her.

"What is it, Laura?" he asked.

"You hafta get down on one knee," she told him firmly.

"What?"

"Down! On one knee!" she told him.

"Don't even have a ring," he muttered.

And then she handed it over to him. "Use this, Uncle Gibbs."

"Laura, I can't- I can't take this. It's yours." He was suddenly awestruck at her generosity, as he held the mood ring she'd given him.

"C'mon Uncle Gibbs, just ask her," Laura told him, grinning.

"Yeah! Do it!"

He turned back to Kate, looked at her, seeing the tears running down her face, before getting down on one knee. "Katie," he started.

"Gibbs, this is all happening so fast."

"Katie," he said again.

"Yeah?" she asked.

He took her hand in his, and he was sure that this was not a proposal that either of them had imagined, surrounded by elves and children. "Ya say… that this is all happenin' so fast. And yet… ya've known me your whole life. And maybe I'm a bastard, and terrible with words, but… when ya were alone, Santa was there. And I will always be there for you, Katie, as long as ya believe. Leave no man behind. I know… I'm askin ya to leave your life behind… but it's worth it."

"It is?" she asked, smiling.

"Yeah. This is a place of magic… an' love. An' occasionally a thin crust pizza and an old movie on a long winter's night. Katie, I love you. Will ya marry me?"

She smiled down at him, hands to her mouth. "Yes, Jethro. I will."

He slid the cheap tin and plastic mood ring down her finger, and then stood up, pulling her into a hug, "Thank you, Katie."

"Ahem," Ducky said. "It is nearly midnight. I do believe the wedding must take place before Christmas Day?"

"Yeah… Katie, I'm sorry this ain't the wedding ya planned for-,"

"It's perfect."

"Shall I be the one to perform the ceremony?" Ducky asked.

"Yeah, Duck. Sounds perfect."

He clapped his hands. "Then we shall indeed have a wedding tonight!"

 **XNCISX**

Gibbs, in the entirety of four prior marriages, had never found himself quite so nervous for one until now, as Kate walked down the makeshift aisle towards him, in a simple long white dress, with a crown of white poinsettias, the girls walking her down the aisle.

She reached the end, taking his hand as she passed the bouquet to Laura, and they stood before Ducky together.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Caitlin Todd," Ducky started.

Gibbs gave her a look, and she smiled back, eyes glittering with unshed tears.

"Do you, Jethro, take Caitlin to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," he said.

"And do you, Caitlin, take Jethro to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," she said, smiling back at him. Maybe it wasn't the dream wedding that she had planned as a little girl, but it was enough. More than enough.

"Now, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife, Santa and Mrs. Claus," Ducky said, smiling between the two of them. Kate and Gibbs shared a grin, as the twins and the elves cheered. "I do believe," he told Gibbs. "That this is the part where you kiss her."

"Don't disappoint me soldier," she warned, as he took her face in his hands, pulling her into a breathtaking and all too short kiss.

He pulled away, "I love you, Katie."

"I love you, Jethro."

And then he grinned, changing back to his true appearance, Kate smiling at him. He climbed into the sled. "Good night, Mrs. Claus. Don't wait up for me, okay?"

She squeezed his hand. "Don't be out too late."

"I won't."

 **XNCISX**

He'd woken up early, and despite the discomfort he was experiencing, he was warm, his girlfriend nestled against him on the couch. Checking his watch, he saw that it was morning.

She sighed in her sleep and he felt a sudden, overwhelming surge of warmth towards her. Maybe it was a terrible idea, maybe they'd end up regretting it, and maybe it was a terrible idea to go out with one's coworkers, but he didn't truly care.

"Bish. C'mon, wake up." He nudged his hips against hers, and she rolled over on the narrow, lumpy couch, before opening her eyes. "Mornin', Ellie."

"What is it, Nick?"

"Merry Christmas," he told her, smiling.

"Merry Christmas," she replied, suddenly shy. The two of them sat up, and Nick pulled the blanket around their shoulders in the chilly office. "You really weren't wrong about that couch," she said, rubbing at her eyes, before yawning.

"How 'bout I go make us some coffee?" he asked.

"You're a godsend," she replied.

"Yeah, so they tell me." He stood up, and starting walking out of the office, before hurrying back and pulling her into a kiss. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas." She smiled.

Merry Christmas indeed.

 **XNCISX**

In another part of DC, the coffee was just starting to brew, and Tim was sitting in the living room, smelling the percolating coffee, smiling to himself. The tree was glowing, and he was just waiting for Delilah to wake up.

He still hadn't truly processed that she was really there. He had woken up beside her on Christmas morning, feeling like his every wish had been granted.

He could only hope it would be a memorable Christmas.

Delilah walked in, yawning. "Coffee?" she asked, and he couldn't help but stare, knowing that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

"Yes."

"Merry Christmas Tim," she told him, walking into the living room.

He swallowed hard. He knew the time was right. "Dee?"

"Yes…?"

"Can you come here?" he asked, heart pounding.

She walked over, giving him a heart-melting smile. "Are you okay, Tim? You look nervous."

"Merry Christmas, Dee," he said, taking her hand in his, nearly tripping over his own feet as he sunk to one knee. "I can't waste any more time. I wanna spend the rest of my Christmases with you, Delilah. Will you marry me?"

"Yes."

He kissed her, absurdly happy.

 **XNCISX**

Ducky yawned. He and the twins had both had a late night, and yet they were up early in the morning on Christmas Day.

He had specific instructions from both Kate and Gibbs- or rather, from both Santa and Mrs. Claus. He had known they'd loved each other for a while, and yet he'd still had to watch them stumble through their love for each other, both searching blindly when what they wanted was right in front of them. Sitting in a waiting room, with the twins, he knew that everything would work out for the best.

He had faith.

And then the woman at the counter called, "You three can go in now." Ducky took them by the hand and the three of them went through the doors, walking down a long corridor.

At the end of the hallway, another door swung open, and there he was; rather unkempt and unshaven, the man couldn't disguise the pure joy on his face. It was then that his resemblance to his younger sister was most obvious.

He knelt down, opening his arms to his little girls, who ran to him.

Ducky watched as Michael Todd was reunited with his daughters.

 **XNCISX**

Caitlin woke up late the day after her wedding, frost webbing the windows, the warm sunshine pouring into the room. She stretched lazily, grateful that she had no need to get up early.

A day for great joy, she knew, in a place of magic and love.

As if she'd summoned him by thinking, her new husband rolled over, throwing a hand over her waist, pulling her in closer. "Mornin', Katie."

"Is it morning?"

"No idea," he replied, before kissing her. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas. Is this what you had in mind when you pictured waking up next to me?" she asked.

"Yes," he said without hesitation. "An' I can't meddle in true love… didn't have to. Found ya all on my own. An', as it happens, I am completely comfortable with ya. What about you? Any regrets yet?"

"It's Christmas, Jethro, it's a time for love… not regrets."

"Gotta plan a big summer wedding," he told her. "A proper one."

"We're going to be okay," she told him.

He looked at her, admiring the freckles across her nose and cheeks, knowing that he'd made the right choice in marrying her. "An' how do ya know that?"

"Easy. I believe."


End file.
